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Dirtmeister's Science Lab on Erosion
What is Erosion
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What causes valleys to form? Why do streams and lakes get muddy after a rain storm? Why are the rocks at the bottom of a river usually round? The answer to all these questions is EROSION!

Erosion is the process by which the surface of the Earth gets worn down. Erosion can be caused by natural elements such as wind and glacial ice. But anyone who has ever seen a picture of the Grand Canyon knows that nothing beats the slow steady movement of water when it comes to changing the Earth.

The key to erosion is something called "fluid flow." Water, air, and even ice are fluids because they tend to flow from one place to another due to the force of gravity. Of the three, liquid water is the most common agent of erosion because there's so much of it on the surface of the Earth.



To see what kind of effects water has on a model landscape, try my Science Lab.

 
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