Soil Erosion

Soil erosion is the transfer or movement of soil from one place to another by natural agents like running water, wind, or even moving ice. Erosion carries away weathered sediments and, eventually, these sediments get deposited and settled in a new place. Deposition is the laying down of sediments carried by wind, running water, or ice. Sediments can be transported as pebbles, sand, mud, or salts dissolved in water.

For example, rivers carry dust, pebbles, and rocks downstream and these materials are eventually deposited to other locations further down. These deposits generally form at bend in rivers, as well as in locations where rivers dump water into lakes, seas, and oceans.