Science
How does erosion work?
Erosion works as the gradual wearing away and carrying off of rock and soil by water, wind, ice, and gravity. Over long timescales it sculpts landscapes — carving canyons, smoothing mountains, and shaping coastlines.
See it in motion.
Watch a 2-minute animated lesson that shows exactly how erosion works.
Step by step
- 1Water, wind, ice, and gravity break down and move rock and soil.
- 2Rivers carve valleys and canyons over time.
- 3Waves wear away coastlines; wind sculpts deserts.
- 4Glaciers grind and reshape the land as they move.
- 5It works slowly but dramatically over long timescales.
Frequently asked questions
- What causes erosion?
- The action of water, wind, ice, and gravity gradually loosening, wearing away, and transporting rock and soil.
- What's the difference between weathering and erosion?
- Weathering breaks rock down in place; erosion is the moving away of that broken material to somewhere else.
- How did the Grand Canyon form?
- Millions of years of the Colorado River eroding and carrying away rock cut the deep canyon we see today.