Encyclopedic entry. A dune is a mound of sand this is formed by the wind, usually along the beach or in a desert. Dunes form when wind blows sand into a sheltered area behind an obstacle.

As an agent of erosion, the wind will quickly break the rock into different rock types. As an agent of weathering, the wind will slowly break down a rock into smaller particles. As an agent of weathering, the wind has to interact with water to affect a rock’s appearance.

Wind-blown sand may carve rocks into interesting shapes (Figure below). This form of erosion is called abrasion. It occurs any time rough sediments are blown or dragged over surfaces.

Wind Causes Weathering and Erosion Wind causes weathering by blowing bits of material against cliffs and large rocks. This wears and breaks the rock down into sand and dust. Wind also erodes sand and dust.

Erosion is the transportation of sediment at the Earth’s surface. 4 agents move sediment: Water, Wind, Glaciers, and Mass Wasting (gravity).

Moving water

The agents of soil erosion are the same as the agents of all types of erosion: water, wind, ice, or gravity.

The effects of soil erosion go beyond the loss of fertile land. It has led to increased pollution and sedimentation in streams and rivers, clogging these waterways and causing declines in fish and other species. And degraded lands are also often less able to hold onto water, which can worsen flooding.

Erosion happens when rocks and sediments are picked up and moved to another place by ice, water, wind or gravity. When the water freezes it expands and the cracks are opened a little wider. Over time pieces of rock can split off a rock face and big boulders are broken into smaller rocks and gravel.

But the most powerful erosive force on earth is not wind but water, which causes erosion in its solid form — ice-and as a liquid. Streams — from tiny creeks to huge rivers — carry tons of eroded earth every year.

Soil Erosion Caused by Water: 6 Types

• Type # 1. Splash Erosion:
• Type # 2. Sheet Erosion:
• Type # 3. Channel Erosion:
• Type # 4. Water Fall Erosion:
• Type # 5. Marine Erosion:
• Type # 6. Landslide or Slip Erosion:

Erosion is the process by which the land surface is worn away by the action of wind, water, ice, or just the slow pull of gravity. Eroding soils may sound like a triviality, but such action ultimately fills in creeks and lakes.

If the wind is dusty, or water or glacial ice is muddy, erosion is taking place. The brown color indicates that bits of rock and soil are suspended in the fluid (air or water) and being transported from one place to another. This transported material is called sediment.