Erosion is the wearing away of rocks and dirt slowly, by nature’s forces, like water, wind, rock, and other things made of Earth over time.  This creates changes on the earth’s surface over time because of the breaking apart, moving, and depositing of these elements.

In this article Zik Natural Resources, explains in details, the beautiful process of erosion and the strong forces that have shaped many of the Earth’s geological structures.

How Rock Formation Is Influenced by Wind Erosion

Wind erosion is a natural process that happens when air moves over the top layer of the earth.  Sand and dust blown by the wind may break down rock surfaces, creating certain features like ridges and rock fragments. This is especially true in dry and semi-dry areas.

• Effects on Landform: Wind erosion can create rock fragments by wearing away finer particles and leaving behind a layer of coarser stone that protects the rock below from further erosion.

Wind erosion creates features that are easily recognised by their distinct forms and patterns.

• Effects on the environmental surroundings: Wind erosion can have big effects on the environment, changing the fertility rates of the land, the quality of the air, and the esthetic nature of the environment.

When wind blows through agricultural areas, it can damage the soil and remove important upper layer of the soil. This lowers the productivity of agriculture and damages the land.

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The Impact of Gravity Erosion and Mass Movement in the Environment

Mass movement and gravity erosion are two of the most important processes in geology. They involve the force of gravity pulling rocks, dirt, and other material towards the ground.

This occurrence happens when there is a mass movement of people, which can have big effects on societies, structures, and the environment.

• The falling and sliding of rocks can destroy property, transport systems, and even put people’s lives in danger.
• People who live in mountainous areas are more likely to be hurt by falling objects and landslides during heavy rain or the winter season. These events happen a lot when there is a mass movement.
• The presence of rain, melting of snow, or groundwater, can lead to slippery hill surfaces and lower the pressure, which makes this process more likely.

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The Influence of Human on Environmental Erosion

Environmental erosion involves the cutting down of trees; farming, building, and urbanisation that speed up the wear and tear on land surfaces. These activities change environmental systems and landscapes.

Soil erosion causes a lot of problems for the environment and farming activities, because it destroys fertile soil, makes water less clean, and makes rivers more polluted.

In many parts of the world, human activities have made erosion rates much worse.

• Destruction of forests: cutting down trees to make provision for farms, cities, and wood harvesting is one of the main causes of environmental erosion. Forests lose their protective plant cover when they are cut down, leaving the land open to wind and water erosion.
• The development of cities and roads changes the natural surroundings and speeds up runoff by compressing the soil, sealing the surface, and causing the way water naturally drains.

As cities grew and more roads, buildings, and other structures were built, vegetations were exposed and surface drainage systems compromised, making it harder for water to find its way into the ground and in some cases causing more surface water to run off.

In conclusion, by looking at the forces that make rocks, we can see the complex occurrences that have changed the Earth’s surface over millions of years.

Erosion and other geological forces form the layout of our world by carving out valleys continuously.

Not only does knowing about these forces help us understand Earth’s geological past, it also helps us protect and manage natural landscapes in the face of environmental problems.

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Zik Boniwe

Mr. Zik Boniwe is an Industrial/Management Consultant. He served as the Executive Managing Director of MAZIK Resources International Limited. He also served as the Programs Director of African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), where he collaborated with some oil-producing host communities in the Niger Delta to ensure enactment of laws on the management of 13 per cent oil revenue derivation flowing from the Federation Account to oil-producing states for the development of host and impacted communities.