Page 95 - DK Children's Encyclopedia

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Erosion SEE ALSO
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▸ ▸ Caves p.55
Erosion is the natural movement of rocks, tiny pieces of ▸ ▸ Deserts p.78
loose rock, and soil, over long distances. Many different ▸ ▸ Glaciers p.122
things can cause erosion, including wind, rivers, ice, ▸ ▸ Mountains p.172

oceans, and landslides. ▸ ▸ Rivers p.211
▸ ▸ Rock cycle p.213

▸ ▸ Weather p.271

On the move
Erosion moves huge amounts of rock Rain, snow, Massive flows of
and soil, and shapes our landscape. It is and ice wear Landslides happen mountain snow,
fastest in mountains, where there is away rock. when loose mountain called avalanches, carry
loose rocks with them.
slopes collapse.
lots of rain and snow, and slowest
in dry places such as deserts.

Glaciers remove
loose rock and
carry it down from
high mountains.

The roots Rivers eat into valleys
of plants can and carry pieces of rock
crack rock. downstream.

Rock particles
carried in the wind
can wear away at
the landscape.
Coastal cliffs are
broken up and
washed away by
powerful waves.

Wind sculptures Wind-carved rock
Over a very long period of Glacier power
time, tiny pieces of rock Glaciers are rivers of ice
carried by strong winds in that move down from high
deserts can sandblast rocks, mountains very slowly. As
they move, they pick up
wearing them away into rocks that scrape away
amazing shapes. at the landscape, carving
steep-sided valleys and
hollows in the ground.

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