Introduction

Gradation is the process that changes the surface features of the earth through agents such
as gravity, running water, waves, wind, and glaciers. Gradation includes erosion,
transportation and deposition of earth materials. Gradational process can be divided into
two general types:
a) Degradation, which refers to the wearing down of the land by erosion and
transportation, and b) Aggradation, which refers to the accumulation of eroded materials
through deposition.
The combined effect of degradaton and aggradation is to smooth out the land surface by
eroding places of high elevation and filling in areas of lower elevation to a point where
erosional forces can no longer operate. This point is known as base level.
Rivers
ivers generally originate from the mountains or hills. ivers are the most powerful agent
of gradation. !t has three basic functions, namely erosional, depositional and
transportation. The river has three stages from its origin till it reaches the ocean. The
upper course, the middle course and the lower course. The river has different amount
of water in different seasons it depending upon its sources. "ome rivers have water in
them through out the year and some rivers do not water in them during the dry
season. These rivers are called perennial and non#perennial respectably.
Glacier
Glaciers are large mass of slow moving ice. They occur in two places $) %olar egions and
&) 'igh altitudes above the permanent snowline. The permanent snow line decreases
from the e(uator towards the poles. The glaciers are of two types continental glacier
and the mountain glacier. The continental glacier occurs in the polar region. The
mountain glacier occurs in the high altitudes above the permanent snowline.
)ountain Glaciers: #
)ountain glaciers are found in high altitudes such as the 'imalayas and the Alps. !n such
regions ice and snow accumulate and due to its pressure glaciers are formed. These
glaciers move down the valley causing erosion, transportation and deposition. The
features made by a glacier are cir(ues, *#shaped valley and moraines.
+ir(ues: #
+ir(ue is an armchair#shaped hollow scooped out by ice. !t is one of the most common
feature of glaciated uplands. +ir(ues are hollows with steep sides and a relatively flat
basin#shaped floor. The ice accumulates in such basins. +ir(ues generally enlarge
owing to weathering of rocks along the edges. +ir(ues are observed in mountain
region which were once covered with glaciers.
*#shaped ,alley: #
*#shaped valley is a huge broad valley carved out by a glacier. -ver thousands of years ,
glaciers carve out huge troughs which deepen, widen and straighten the e.isting river
valley. *nlike ,#shaped river valleys they form a distinctive wide *#shape.
)oraine: #
)oraines are piles of boulders, rocks, pebbles and clay. /hen a glacier melts away in the
warmer lower slopes all the material carried by it gets deposited. )oraine are also
formed when the glacier stops temporarily.
Wind
/ind is a stream of air moving from one place to another. Air on the surface of the ground
always moves from areas of high pressure to area of low pressure. This movement
carries the sand particles and the dust particles with it. These particles are carried
hundreds of kilometers away and are deposited there. The main features made by
wind are sand dune, mushroom rock and loess.
"and Dune: #
"and dune is a mound of wind#blown sand in the desert or a cost. !n deserts such as Thar
and "ahara there are vast areas of sand called "and "ea. /hen the wind blows the
loose dry sand is carried with it. /hen there is an obstruction or the speed of the
wind decreases or when there is rain the sand particles get deposited. esulting in the
formation of "and dunes. There are many kinds of "and dunes. Dune type depend on
the amount sand available, the variability of wind direction, and the amount of
vegetation cover. "ome types of dunes are star dunes, crescent dunes, sword dune and
parabolic dune.
)ushroom rock: #
The )ushroom rock is also known as the 0ncrusted rock. The )ushroom rock resembles
the shape of a mushroom. !t has a narrow trunk and a broad top portion. The bottom
portion is thinner because the wind carries more sand particles in the lower side than
on the higher.
1oess: #
1oess are fine yellow sediments probably deposited by the wind. /ind action is important
not only in deserts, but where ever light dry material is e.posed such as in the coastal
regions. Dust particles are carried are transported by winds over hundreds of
kilometers and they get deposited in humid regions when rainfall occurs. These dust
particles accumulate over an e.tensive area covering the whole surface. 1oess
deposits are found in +hina, central 0urope and "iberia.
Waves
/aves are a regular undulation of the sea2s surface. /ind blowing across the sea whips the
water2s surface into ripples. !f the water is strong enough and blows far enough over
the water, the ripples build up into waves. The si3e of the wave depends on the
strength of the wind as well as the distance the wind carries it. The action of waves as
agent of gradation is limited to the showers. The waves work only in the narrow 3one
of contact of the land and the sea. The main features made by the waves are cliffs,
beaches and sandbars.
+liffs: #
+liff is a very steep rock face formed by the action of wave. /aves crash on the shore with
tremendous force, especially in storms. They wear away coastal rocks by pounding on
them with water, hurling stones on them and forcing air into cracks so hard that the
rocks burst apart. -n high coasts, the waves slowly undercut the foot of the slope to
create a cliff. -ften waves penetrate deep into the cliff to open up a sea cave or cut
right through a headland to create an arch of rock. /hen the arch collapses, it may
leave behind spectacular tall pillars of rock called stacks, which may later be eroded
into shorter stumps.
4each: #
4each is a sloping of sand, shingle or pebbles at the sea2s edge. This is formed by the
deposition of the material carried by the waves. -n a steep beach the backwash of a
wave is stronger than the swash so the material is washed down the beach, making
the slope gentle. /hereas on a gently sloped beach, swash is stronger than the
backwash, so the material gets washed up the beach making it steeper.
"andbar: #
"andbars are also formed by the deposition done by the waves. "andbars vary in shape and
may e.tend parallel to the shore or at an angle to the shore. The shallow sea between
the shore and the sandbar former the lagoon or marsh and gets gradually filled up by
sediments.