Agents of Soil Erosion

Water

Moving water is a common agent of erosion. Running water pulled by gravity rushes along the surface, bringing along materials in its path. As running water continues to travel along, it drags along sediments until these materials get deposited to areas where these sediments can easily settle. For instance, once a river bends at a specific place, the sediments eventually get stuck and pile up.

Frozen water also wears down and shapes the earth's surface. Glaciers are big sheets of ice on top of mountains. When these glaciers move, they carve and scrape the land underneath them as they carry away rock fragments with them.

Ocean waves and currents also erode the earth's surface. Crashing waves break down rock along coastlines. The sediments are dragged back and forth, slowly turning into sand.