Erosion
hideFor morphological image processing operations, see Erosion (morphology) For use of in dermatopathology, see Erosion (dermatopathology)
Erosion is the removal of solids (sediment, soil, rock and other particles) in the natural environment. It usually occurs due to transport by wind, water, or ice; by down-slope creep of soil and other material under the force of gravity; or by living organisms, such as burrowing animals, in the case of bioerosion.
Erosion is distinguished from weathering, which is the process of chemical or physical breakdown of the minerals in the rocks, although the two processes may occur concurrently.
Erosion is a noticeable intrinsic natural process but in many places it is increased by human land use. Poor land use practices include deforestation, overgrazing, unmanaged construction activity and road-building. Land that is used for the production of agricultural crops generally experiences a significant greater rate of erosion than that of land under natural vegetation. This is particularly true if tillage is used, which reduces vegetation cover on the surface of the soil and disturbs both soil structure and plant roots that would otherwise hold the soil in place. However, improved land use practices can limit erosion, using techniques such as terrace-building, conservation tillage practices, and tree planting.
A certain amount of erosion is natural and, in fact, healthy for the ecosystem. For example, gravels continuously move downstream in watercourses. Excessive erosion, however, does cause problems, such as receiving water sedimentation, ecosystem damage and outright loss of soil.
For more information about Erosion, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with erosion
Ida now a coastal low assaulting the Mid-Atlantic
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Nov 12, 2009 |
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Ida is one stubborn girl. Her remnants have moved out to sea and reformed as a powerful coastal low pressure system that's been raining on the mid-Atlantic since Tuesday night, November 10. The Geostationary ...
Fortuitous research provides first detailed documentation of tsunami erosion
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Oct 27, 2009 |
4.6 / 5 (5) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- For the first time, a group of scientists working in the Kuril Islands off the east coast of Russia has documented the scope of tsunami-caused erosion and found that a wave can carry away ...
Saving sand: South Carolina beaches become a model for preservation
Oct 23, 2009 |
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While most people head to Myrtle Beach for vacation, a group of scientists have been hitting the famous South Carolina beach for years to figure out how to keep the sand from washing away.
Rip currents pose greater risk to swimmers than to shoreline
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Oct 13, 2009 |
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Rip currents -- powerful, channeled currents of water flowing away from the shore -- represent a danger to human life and property. Rip currents are responsible for more than one hundred deaths on our nation's ...
Aqua Satellite sees Tropical Storm Parma lingering in the Luzon Strait
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Oct 05, 2009 |
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Two instruments on NASA's Aqua satellite captured views of Tropical Storm Parma early today, October 5, while it was almost stationary in the Luzon Strait and it appears that it will sit there for several ...
Biofuel from Corn Stover
Sep 22, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- How much corn crop residue, or stover, can be removed for biofuels without harming soil? An Agricultural Research Service (ARS) study of a 10-mile circle around the University of Minnesota’s ...
Humans causing erosion comparable to world's largest rivers and glaciers
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Sep 02, 2009 |
2 / 5 (2) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study finds that large-scale farming projects can erode the Earth's surface at rates comparable to those of the world's largest rivers and glaciers.
Research finds higher acidity in Alaska waters
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Aug 24, 2009 |
3.1 / 5 (7) |
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(AP) -- Erosion threatens to topple coastal Alaskan villages. Melting ice threatens polar bears. Now, a marine scientist says the state's marine waters are turning acidic from absorbing greenhouse gases faster ...
A hard rain's gonna fall: Analysis shows climate change to yield more extreme rainfall
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Aug 17, 2009 |
3.7 / 5 (15) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Heavier rainstorms lie in our future. That's the clear conclusion of a new MIT and Caltech study on the impact that global climate change will have on precipitation patterns.
GPS helps locate soil erosion pathways
Aug 13, 2009 |
3 / 5 (1) |
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Grassed waterways are placed in agricultural fields where runoff water tends to concentrate because they can substantially reduce soil erosion. Mapping techniques that help identify where erosion channels will likely form ...
Tidal energy farms influence the natural transport of sands
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Jul 28, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Tidal stream farms, in which electricity is generated by turbines from regions of strong tidal flow, may influence the natural balance of marine sands, according to research at Bangor University.
Global warming may impede eelgrass growth
Jul 26, 2009 |
3 / 5 (2) |
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Scientist Ron Thom probably knows more than anyone else about the growth of eelgrass, the humble marine plant commonly found in sheltered bays, inlets and other shallow waters.
How to manage erosion caused by everyday beverages
Jul 17, 2009 |
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Researchers have warned people to beware of the damage that acidic beverages have on teeth. Yet, for some, the damage and problems associated with drinking sodas, citric juices or certain tea may have already begun to take ...
Virtually engineering power plants
Jul 13, 2009 |
4 / 5 (1) |
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Photovoltaic and wind energy plants, hydroelectric power stations and biogas plants supply energy without polluting the environment. However, they are complex to design and maintain. Virtual reality makes ...
OJ worse for teeth than whitening, researchers say
Jun 30, 2009 |
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With the increasing popularity of whitening one's teeth, researchers at the Eastman Institute for Oral Health, part of the University of Rochester Medical Center, set out to learn if there are negative effects on the tooth ...
