Weathering - Erosion - Deposition

Unit Summary: Weathering - Erosion - Deposition - From Chat GPT

Weathering
Weathering is the process that breaks down rocks into smaller pieces. It can happen in two main ways: mechanical weathering, where rocks are broken apart physically (like when water freezes in cracks and expands), and chemical weathering, where rocks are changed into new substances (like when acid rain dissolves limestone). Weathering usually happens slowly, but over time it can completely change the shape and size of rocks and even mountains. Without weathering, we wouldn’t have soil for plants to grow in.

Erosion
Erosion is the movement of weathered rock and soil from one place to another. Water, wind, ice (glaciers), and gravity are the main forces that cause erosion. For example, rivers can carry sand and rocks downstream, wind can blow dust across deserts, and glaciers can drag rocks across land as they move. Erosion is like nature’s way of transporting materials, constantly shaping Earth’s surface by moving broken-down pieces from where they were created to somewhere else.

Deposition
Deposition happens when the forces of erosion slow down and drop the materials they were carrying. Rivers might deposit sand at their mouths to form a delta, glaciers might leave behind piles of rocks called moraines, and wind might create sand dunes in deserts. Deposition is important because it builds up new landforms, like beaches and riverbanks. Together with weathering and erosion, deposition completes the cycle of breaking down, moving, and rebuilding Earth’s surface.