1. E = Erosion - Transporting or moving sediment by water, wind, or ice.
W = Weathering - The breaking down of 
rock to sediment by physical and chemical means.
E = Erosion - Transporting or moving 
sediment by water, wind, or ice.
Imagine that the river started up here!
Believe it or not, this rock formation 

resulted from wind weathering and 
erosion. Smaller, lighter chunks of rock 
broke off and blew away until this 
formation was all that remained.
Erosion caused by water; millions of years ago 

before the Grand Canyon was formed, the 

Colorado River was a quiet river streaming 

through the land.
glacier
Water freezing
in the cracks of
this rock caused
it to break apart.
glacial erosion

2. Grand Canyon Pictures:

6. D = Deposition - Dropping or depositing of sediment in a new location.
Beaches and Deltas
show clear evidence
deposition on our planet.

7. Great Sand Dunes National Park:

12. They may be Destructive or Constructive
Important:
Water, Ice, and Wind cause W.E.D.
These forces are responsible for forming many of the 
landforms on Earth.
They may be Destructive or Constructive
Constructive Force - a force that builds up sediment to 
create a new landform.
  example - Deposition
Destructive Force - a force that tears down an existing 
landform and turns it into sediment.  
  examples - weathering and erosion

13. So what exactly is sediment? It is just broken pieces of rock.
So what makes it different from soil? Soil contains pieces of rock
 (sediment),shell, decaying  
 plants, decaying animals, and 
 animal waste.
** So in other words soil is made up of both inorganic (nonliving) and
 organic (living) materials. **
W.E.D. all help create new soil by breaking down rock to sediment.

14. The Problem: My sister and her family just moved to a new house 

that has a small hill in the backyard, but there seems to be a major 

problem. Every time it rains, the soil erodes and creates a messy mud 

puddle in the backyard. How can she prevent soil erosion from 

happening?
fence
mud puddle
erosion

15. This is what the land looked like in the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.
This is what a native 

grassland would have looked 

like in Kansas, Oklahoma, 

Texas, and Colorado when 

pioneers first arrived.
This is what the land looked like in the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.

16. Well, it's all caused by soil erosion.
How could this happen?
Well, it's all caused by soil erosion.
 Click on the picture above, but while you watch this video, think about what farmers might have done to cause dust clouds. Also think about what erosion may have had to do with the dust bowl.

17. Soil Layers:
Youngest layer
Oldest layer

18. Types of Soil The organic part of soil is called humus.
The organic part of soil is called humus.
It contains the remains of dead plants and animals and animal waste.
Sand is the largest type of soil particle.
It does not hold water well because the larger particles do not pack together.
It feels gritty to touch.
Silt is made of smaller particles than sand, and holds water better than sand.
It feels smoother than sand but still grainy
Clay is the smallest soil particle.
It holds water well because the tiny particles pack together.
If feels clumpy and sticky.
Loam is a mixture of clay, silt, and sand particles in equal parts.
It is the best for growing crops because it allows for water and air flow,
but holds on to some water and humus also.