Weathering and Erosion
Weathering breaks down rock in place, and erosion carries the pieces away by water, wind or ice.
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Weathering breaks down rock in place, and erosion carries the pieces away by water, wind or ice.
- Physical, chemical and biological weathering
- Rivers erode valleys
- Wind erodes deserts
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is Weathering and Erosion?
Within Earth & Environmental Science, which covers our planet, its resources and ecosystems, and how people can protect the environment, this topic explains Weathering and Erosion. Earth and environment topics show how the planet’s systems shape landscapes, climate and life, with models that make these processes visible.
Check that you can explain Weathering and Erosion in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding Weathering and Erosion helps you explain the environment around you and weigh up how people can protect it.
Weathering and Erosion in detail
Weathering is the breakdown of rock where it is, by physical processes such as freeze-thaw and temperature changes, chemical processes such as acid rain dissolving limestone, and biological processes such as roots growing in cracks. Erosion is the wearing away and removal of material by moving water, wind, ice or gravity.
Together with deposition, they shape landscapes, forming valleys, cliffs, beaches and dunes. The rate depends on rock type, climate, slope and vegetation. Human activities such as farming and deforestation can speed up erosion. The sediment produced eventually forms new rocks and soils.
How the interactive helps you understand Weathering and Erosion
Click a step, or use the Previous and Next buttons, to move through the sequence one stage at a time. Auto-play moves on for you.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Weathering and Erosion.
Real-life uses and examples
- Use a diagram of Weathering and Erosion to describe the steps of a process in order.
- Discuss how human activity changes Weathering and Erosion, using a named example.
- Explain how Weathering and Erosion affects the landscape or climate near you.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Describing a process without the timescale it works over.
- Presenting one cause as the only cause of an environmental change.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about Weathering and Erosion
What is Weathering and Erosion?
Weathering breaks down rock in place, and erosion carries the pieces away by water, wind or ice.
What are the most important points about Weathering and Erosion?
The main points are: Physical, chemical and biological weathering; Rivers erode valleys; Wind erodes deserts.
Why is Weathering and Erosion useful?
Understanding Weathering and Erosion helps you explain the environment around you and weigh up how people can protect it.
How can I practise Weathering and Erosion?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to Weathering and Erosion?
Related topics in Earth & Environmental Science include Volcanoes and Their Products, The Atmosphere, Wind and Pressure Systems.