SCIENCE Weathering & Erosion Grade: 4

Weathering is any process that breaks down rocks and creates sediments/soil.

Erosion is the process by which natural forces move weathered rock and soil from one place to
another. Gravity, running water, glaciers, waves, and wind all cause erosion.

Weathering breaks down the Earth’s surface into smaller pieces. Those pieces are moved in a
process called erosion, and deposited somewhere else. Weathering can be caused by wind, water,
ice, plants, gravity, and changes in temperature.
For as long as the Earth has existed, weathering has helped shape the landscape. Weathering wears away
rocks and soil.

Some natural agents for Weathering:

Water causes weathering:

Water is often the main cause of weathering, either as rain or ice. Rainwater can easily enter cracks in
rocks or sidewalks. If this happens during cold months, the water may freeze and expand in the crack.
Working as a wedge, the ice splits the rock. Many times, road crews have to patch up potholes caused by
weathering from ice.
Weathering by running water:
 When water in waterfalls, rivers and streams move over rock, the
rocks are weathered—broken into smaller and smaller pieces.
 Fast running water causes rocks to hit one another breaking them
into smaller (weathering).

Weathering by the wind:

 Wind can also cause weathering.
 As the wind blows it picks up small particles of sand and
blasts/hits large rocks with them.
 These particles, over time, rub/ cut and change the shape of the
rock.
 Over long periods, wind can wear away rock and carry tiny
pieces of the rock to new places. This is can create amazing
landscapes, such as rocks that look like mushrooms.

Plants CAN CAUSE weathering:

Sometimes living things can cause weathering.
Plant roots can wedge their way in between small cracks in rocks.
As the plant grows, the roots increase the size of the crack little by little.
Eventually, pieces of the rocks break off and get carried away by wind or water.

Weathering by glaciers:
 A glacier is a large river of ice that moves very slowly downhill.
 Glaciers are formed over many years as large amounts of snow fall and accumulate. The
snow compacts and changes to ice.
 Stuck in the bottom of the glacier are stones of various sizes that wear away the rock under
the glacier as it moves downhill.

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There are many different forces in nature that cause erosion. Erosion has helped to form many
interesting features of the Earth's surface including mountain peaks, valleys, and coastlines.
Depending on the type of force, erosion can happen quickly or take thousands of years. The three
main forces that cause erosion are water, wind, and ice.

Some natural agents for Erosion:

Erosion by Water

Water is the main cause of erosion on Earth. Here are some of the ways that water causes erosion:
 Rainfall - Rainfall can cause erosion both when the rain hits the surface of the Earth, called
splash erosion, and when raindrops accumulate and flow like small streams.
 Rivers - Rivers can create a significant amount of erosion over time. They break up particles
along the river bottom and carry them downstream (run-off). One example of river erosion is
the Grand Canyon which was formed by the Colorado River.
 Waves - Ocean waves can cause the coastline to erode. The shear energy and force of the
waves causes pieces of rock and coastline to break off changing the coastline over time.
 Floods - Large floods can cause erosion to happen very quickly acting like powerful rivers.

Erosion by Wind

 Wind is a major type of erosion, especially in dry areas.

 Wind can erode by picking up and carrying loose particles and dust away.
 It can also erode when these flying particles strike the land and break off more particles.

Erosion by Glaciers
Glaciers are giant rivers of ice that slowly move carving out valleys and shaping mountains.

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