Weathering and Erosion | What Is the Difference between Weathering and Erosion?

Weathering and erosion are two main processes that result in the creation or destruction of landforms. Weathering is the process of decomposing, breaking up, or changing the color of rocks, while erosion is the movement of rocks and sediment that have been broken apart.

Weathering involves breaking up rocks into smaller pieces, while erosion is the process of moving these particles somewhere else. Chemical, mechanical, and biological weathering are the three types, whereas water, wind, and ice are the main causes of erosion.

Chemical weathering causes changes in minerals through chemical reactions. Mechanical weathering is caused by physical forces like water, frost, or heat. Biological weathering occurs due to living organisms like plants and animals.

Erosion can be caused by water, wind, ice, and gravity. Water erosion occurs through rain, rivers, waves, and floods. Wind erosion involves the movement of loose particles by wind, and ice erosion is caused by glaciers shifting and moving.

Humans can also contribute to erosion through activities like farming, deforestation, and construction. Everything humans do to the earth has the potential to cause erosion.

Deposition is the process where sediments, soil, and rocks settle or deposit on a landform or landmass. It marks the end of the erosion process and the forming of a new landform.

Recap of the types of weathering (chemical, mechanical, biological) and erosion causes (water, wind, ice). Understanding that erosion can happen gradually or rapidly, and the difference between weathering and erosion processes.