Earth’s Changing Landscape

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What is Erosion?

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Erosion is the process by which natural forces like water and wind move weathered rock and soil from one place to another. Key vocabulary: erosion, sediment.

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What is Weathering?

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Weathering is the breaking down of rocks, soil, and minerals through contact with the Earth's atmosphere, water, and biological organisms. It includes physical and chemical weathering.

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Tectonic Activity Overview

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Tectonic activity involves the movement of the Earth's plates. Types of tectonic movement include convergent, divergent, and transform.

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Landforms Created by Erosion, Weathering, and Tectonic Activity

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These processes create various landforms such as mountains, valleys, volcanoes, and islands.

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What is Sediment?

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Sediment is small, solid pieces of material that come from rocks or living things. It is often moved by water, wind, or ice and deposited in new locations.

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How Do Mountains Form?

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Mountains form mainly through tectonic activity, such as the collision (convergent movement) of tectonic plates, which pushes the Earth's crust upward.

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Difference Between Weathering and Erosion

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Weathering breaks down rocks into smaller pieces, while erosion moves those pieces to new places using natural forces like water, wind, or ice.

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What is Deposition?

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Deposition is the process by which sediment, soil, and rocks are added to a landform or land mass. It occurs after erosion, when the transported material settles in a new location.

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How Do Volcanoes Form?

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Volcanoes form when magma from within the Earth's mantle rises through the crust and erupts at the surface, often at tectonic plate boundaries or hotspots.

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What is a Valley?

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A valley is a low area between hills or mountains, often formed by erosion from a river or glacier over a long period of time.