processes of erosion Flashcards
What are the four types of erosion?
Hydraulic action; abrasion; attrition; and solution
What is hydraulic action?
The power of the volume of water moving in the river
What is abrasion?
This happens when larger loads carried by the river hits the beds and banks, causing bits to break off
What is attrition?
The knocking together of stones and boulders, making them gradually smaller and smoother
What is solution?
The dissolving of rocks and minerals by rainwater
What are the two directions in which rivers tend to erode?
Vertically or laterally
What happens to the erosion in a river as it gets further down its course?
Vertical erosion becomes less important and lateral erosion takes over
What is erosion?
The sculpting of a landscape, for example by rivers, involving the removal of material
