erosion
Land slowly disappearing
Erosion is the gradual wearing away of material by natural forces—wind, water, ice, or gravity.
Rivers erode canyons, waves erode coastlines, glaciers erode valleys.
The word extends to any slow deterioration: the erosion of civil liberties, erosion of trust, erosion of purchasing power.
Soil erosion from poor farming practices remains a global concern.
Particles settling in liquid
- alluviumWater-deposited loose sediment
- gullyChannel carved by flowing water
- landslideMass of earth falling
- fluvialRelating to rivers
glacial · karst · loess · oxbow · rill · riverbank · siltation · streambed
Decrease or refuse
- decayGradual organic breakdown
- deteriorationProcess of declining quality
- degradationDecline in condition
- underminingWeakening by covert means
weakening · disintegration · collapse · crumbling · diminishing · fading · waning · atrophy
Resistance between touching surfaces
- scouringVigorous abrasive cleaning
- grindingMolar action sometimes
- polishingSmoothing by friction
- sandblastingCleaning surfaces with pressurized grit
attrition · scraping · stripping · flaking · peeling · pitting · scoring · wearing
Land-water boundary
- cliffsSteep natural rock walls
- seaSaltwater body, not ocean
- wavesTraveling energy disturbances
- tidesPeriodic sea-level changes
beach · dunes · bluffs · retreat · shore · currents · sediment · overwash
Reduction of supply
- diminutionReduction in size
- deteriorationProcess of declining quality
- degradationDecline in condition
- underminingWeakening by covert means
thinning · shrinking · reduction · ablation · recession · weakening · wasting · dwindling
Overwhelming water overflow
- damWater-holding barrier
- reservoirLarge water storage basin
- leveeRiver flood barrier
- dikeWall against flooding
sluice · weir · floodgate · spillway · scour · undercutting · channel · meander
Shedding surface skin cells
- oxidationLosing electrons chemically
- hydrolysisWater-induced bond cleavage
- carbonationGas dissolved in liquid
- dissolutionBreaking up completely
leaching · chelation · hydration · lichens · chemical · biological · physical · mechanical
Nutrient-rich surface earth
- agricultureCultivation of land, livestock
- overgrazingExcessive pasture consumption
- deforestationLarge-scale woodland elimination
- tillageSoil preparation for planting
terracing · mulching · desertification · fertility · gullying · conservation
sediment
Particles settling in liquid
- alluviumWater-deposited loose sediment
- gullyChannel carved by flowing water
- landslideMass of earth falling
fluvial · glacial · karst · loess · oxbow · rill · riverbank · siltation · streambed · terrace
decline
Decrease or refuse
- decayGradual organic breakdown
- deteriorationProcess of declining quality
- degradationDecline in condition
undermining · weakening · disintegration · collapse · crumbling · diminishing · fading · waning · atrophy · dissolution
friction
Resistance between touching surfaces
sandblasting · attrition · scraping · stripping · flaking · peeling · pitting · scoring · wearing · smoothing
shoreline
Land-water boundary
tides · beach · dunes · bluffs · retreat · shore · currents · sediment · overwash · saltwater
depletion
Reduction of supply
- diminutionReduction in size
- deteriorationProcess of declining quality
- degradationDecline in condition
undermining · thinning · shrinking · reduction · ablation · recession · weakening · wasting · dwindling · incremental
flood
Overwhelming water overflow
dike · sluice · weir · floodgate · spillway · scour · undercutting · channel · meander · piping
exfoliation
Shedding surface skin cells
- oxidationLosing electrons chemically
- hydrolysisWater-induced bond cleavage
- carbonationGas dissolved in liquid
dissolution · leaching · chelation · hydration · lichens · chemical · biological · physical · mechanical · spalling
topsoil
Nutrient-rich surface earth
- agricultureCultivation of land, livestock
- overgrazingExcessive pasture consumption
- deforestationLarge-scale woodland elimination
tillage · terracing · mulching · desertification · fertility · gullying · conservation
- Natural Processesphotosynthesis, decomposition, evaporation, carbon cycle, precipitation
- Pacific CoastPacific Ocean, beach, Pacific coast, sand, Pacific beaches
- Earth processesplate tectonics, weathering, volcanism, sedimentation, earthquakes
- geology termsfossils, rock layers, schist, core sample, gneiss
- desert researchsand dunes, drought, aridity, desertification, water scarcity
- erosionwearing, wearing down, abrasion, weathering, scouring
erosiondeposition
Formal testimony under oath
accretion · sedimentation · accumulation · buildup · silting
erosionstrengthening
Increasing power or solidity
reinforcement · fortification · construction · building · rebuilding
erosiongrowth
Increase in size
increase · buildup · strengthening · gain · accumulation
- river erosionWater wearing away earth
- soil erosionLoss of topsoil
- beach erosionShore loss from water
- soil erosion controlPreventing terrain degradation
- coastal erosionLand loss at sea edges
- coastline erosionSea wearing away land