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Definition: erosion from Environmental History and Global Change: A Dictionary of Environmental History

The removal of part of the land surface by agents such as wind, water, gravity or ice.


erosion

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
(ĭrō'zhӘn), general term for the processes by which the surface of the earth is constantly being worn away. The principal agents are gravity, running water, near-shore waves, ice (mostly glaciers), and wind. All running water gathers and transports particles of soil or fragments of rock (formed by weathering ), and every stream carries, in suspension or rolling along its bottom, material received from its tributaries or detached from its own banks. These transported particles strike against the bedrock of the stream channel, literally grinding it away and eventually settle out along the channel or find their way to the sea. The Mississippi River is being reduced by erosion at the rate of 1 ft (30 cm) in about 9,000 years. Seacoasts are eroded by ocean waves, which detach loose or nonresistant material. Waves wear the rock by both the force of their own impact and the abrasive action of the detritus they carry. Global warming , by increasing sea levels, accelerates coastal erosion and…
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Full text Article erosion

From Philip's Encyclopedia
The powerful action of the waves produces...
Alteration of landforms by the wearing away of rock and soil, and the removal of any debris. Erosion is carried out by the actions of wind, water, glaciers and living organisms. In chemical erosion, minerals in the rock react to other substances, such as acids found in rainwater, and are broken…
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Full text Article erosion

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Removal of surface material from the Earth’s crust and transportation of the eroded materials by natural agencies from the point of removal. Erosion is caused by wind action, river and stream processes, marine processes (sea waves), and glacial processes. The complementary actions of erosion and…
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Full text Article erosion

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
(ĭrō'zhӘn), general term for the processes by which the surface of the earth is constantly being worn away. The principal agents are gravity, running water, near-shore waves, ice (mostly glaciers), and wind. All running water gathers and transports particles of soil or fragments of rock (formed by…
| 432 words
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Description Time Although we are not always aware of it, the landscapes around us are constantly changing. 00 :02 – 00 :07 Very slowly, under the combined influence of wind and water, relief features are worn down. This process is called erosion. 00 :10 – 00 :19 Water is the main factor in erosion…
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Full text Article Erosion

From The Encyclopedia of Tourism and Recreation in Marine Environments
Sand dune erosion due to unregulated...
Erosion is the process of removing sediment and material from a landform. In the context of coastal and marine tourism, erosion is an important consideration when evaluating the resiliency of a landform in the face of natural hazards or intensive use and when considering impacts from constructing…
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Full text Article EROSION

From Gaither's Dictionary of Scientific Quotations
American geologist No one can know how much land has already gone down into the stomach of the sea. The waves have been but one among several of its caterers. Autobiography of Earth Chapter VI (p. 177 ) Coward-McCann, Inc. New York New York USA . 1935. Scottish geologist, chemist, and naturalist The…
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Full text Article Dental Erosion

From Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Erosion is wearing down of tooth enamel by acids. Tooth enamel is the hard coating that protects teeth and the dentin, the layer just under the enamel that leads to sensitive nerve tissues. The tooth's enamel is considered the hardest tissue in a human body, enabling people to bite into foods and…
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Full text Article coastal erosion

From Science Encyclopedia: Encyclopedia of Marine Science
Dune grass provides a critical stabilizing...
Coastal erosion is a natural process that accounts for the movement (erosion and accretion) of beach materials. Atmospheric and oceanic weather, such as El Niño , storms, winds, tides, currents, waves, and storm surges are major factors in coastal erosion. Water movement due to the astronomical…
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Full text Article soil erosion

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Natural process caused the action of wind, water, and ice on the surface of the Earth, which wears away and redistributes the soil layer. If the rate of erosion exceeds the rate of soil formation (from rock and decomposing organic matter), the land will become infertile. If unchecked, soil erosion…
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Full text Article erosion: soils

From Environmental History and Global Change: A Dictionary of Environmental History
One of the most important and widespread of environmental processes, soil erosion occurs naturally and generally becomes a problem when its rate is accelerated by human activity, something which has occurred since the first farming communities if not earlier. Traditional agricultural systems were…
| 250 words
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