Agents of Erosion and Mass Movement

Erosion Agent What Happens? Particle Size Velocity Landforms and

Examples









Water
Rill Erosion Soil is removed by
water running
through little
streams.
Medium sized to
small
Faster On slopes-

Badlands National Park
Gully
Erosion
Occurs when surface
water is trapped in a
stream and begins to
erode channels in the
ground.
Medium sized Medium paced Anywhere near a flowing
body of water for
landforms. Examples are
common in farming
areas.
Sheet
Erosion
Removes soil in thin
layers via rain and
overland flow.
Decent sized particle Quick due to slope Normally on sloped land.
Hills.
Splash
Erosion
When raindrops first
hit the bare soil and
move it.
Small particles (not
packed together)
Pretty quick, dont
move far.
Any landforms, as long
as there is bare soil.
Examples are just when
it rains on open freshly
planted soil.
Wave
(Shoreline)
Erosion
Loss of sand from
the beach or sand
dunes that may be
temporary or
permanent.


Small Decent pased Location is on the
coastline obviously.
Storms are an example
as they cause a lot of
shoreline erosion.



Glacial





When glaciers move
they take out large
portions of Earths
landscape along with
them.
Very large (Huge
rocks and boulders)
Slow Leave behind valleys
with waterfalls and or
lakes. These are
common in New
England, and other parts
of the Northern United
States.



Wind




The wind simply
picks up the particles
and moves them
elsewhere.
Smaller particles Decent pace/medium Areas with limited
precipitation and high
temperatures. Also
landforms with little
vegetation. An example
is Death Valley.



Anthropogenic




Human activity
moves sediment
whether it be
intentional or
unintentional.






Can vary from small
to large
Depends on activity...
can be fast or slow
Can occur on any
landforms. Examples are
from drilling, digging,
planting a garden, or
even tracking dirt on
your shoes.