Q. On which factors the erosional power of a river depend?
The Erosive power of a river depends upon the speed of flow of the water, As the fast moving water can erode more soil compared to slow moving water. Apart from speed factor the erosive power of a river also depends upon gradient, volume of the water flowing in the river and quantity of the Erosive burden.
Q. What causes a river to erode?
The river’s kinetic energy (or the energy that comes from the moving of the water as it flows downhill) is what causes the majority of the erosion to the geography of the river. Water moving past and over rocks, dirt, and other materials erodes them and often sweeps them along to be deposited further downstream.
Q. What are the factors affecting the erosion power of streams?
Both natural and human- caused factors affect the amount of erosion a stream may experience. Natural factors include the gradient (or steepness) of the streambed since that affects the speed of the flow of water. Rainfall and snowmelt affect the amount of water in a stream as well as the speed of the flow.
Q. What causes streams to erode?
Erosion by Runoff Gravity causes the water to flow from higher to lower ground. Much of the material eroded by runoff is carried into bodies of water, such as streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, or oceans. Runoff is an important cause of erosion. That’s because it occurs over so much of Earth’s surface.
Q. Where does the most erosion happen in a river?
Most river erosion happens nearer to the mouth of a river. On a river bend, the longest least sharp side has slower moving water. Here deposits build up. On the narrowest sharpest side of the bend, there is faster moving water so this side tends to erode away mostly.
Q. What are the two causes of erosion?
Different Soil Erosion Causes
- Sheet erosion by water;
- Wind erosion;
- Rill erosion – happens with heavy rains and usually creates smalls rills over hillsides;
- Gully erosion – when water runoff removes soil along drainage lines.
- Ephemeral erosion that occurs in natural depressions.
Q. How do human activities affects the rate of erosion?
Overgrazing, over cropping and or deforestation can lead to desertification – the spread of desert like lands due to these human activities accelerating natural erosion of soil. This may occur in areas of deforestation, mountain slopes or as a general practice to plant a seedling for each tree cut down.
Q. What are three strategies humans can use to decrease and prevent erosion?
You can reduce soil erosion by:
- Maintaining a healthy, perennial plant cover.
- Mulching.
- Planting a cover crop – such as winter rye in vegetable gardens.
- Placing crushed stone, wood chips, and other similar materials in heavily used areas where vegetation is hard to establish and maintain.
