Difference Between Weathering And Erosion: Definition & Examples

Weathering and erosion are two processes that break down rocks into fine particles and shape the Earth's surface. The difference between weathering and erosion is based on whether or not a rock's location has changed. Both of these processes can also occur simultaneously.

• Weathering causes a rock to deteriorate without moving it, whereas erosion moves rocks and soil particles away from their original positions.
• Weathering causes erosion by breaking down rocks into smaller fragments that erosive forces can move away from.
• Wind, water, ice, temperature, and even natural activity are all factors that contribute to both weathering and erosion.
• While weathering and erosion are comparable, they are not the same thing. 
• Erosion and weathering can both lead to the formation of mountains, canyons, valleys, and other distinctive features.

Read More: Soil Formation

Key Terms: Weathering, Erosion, Forces, Sedimentation, Soil, Rock Particles, Degradation of Rocks

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What is Erosion?

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Erosion is the process by which the Earth's surface is broken into fine particles and eroded away. Natural forces such as wind and glacial ice can lead to erosion. Water flows over the land, picking and carrying away soil and other materials, leading to the formation of channels, gullies, and canyons. As there is so much water on the Earth's surface, liquid water is the most common agent of erosion.

• Erosion is influenced by the type of rock or soil, the slope of the land, and the intensity and duration of the natural agents involved.
• Wind erosion occurs when the wind picks up and moves soil particles.
• Ice erosion, also known as glacial erosion, occurs when moving ice carries away rock and soil, leaving behind U-shaped valleys and moraines.

Erosion helps to create new landforms and shape the landscape, such as the Grand Canyon in Arizona. But, it can also lead to soil degradation, loss of fertile land, and damage to infrastructure, such as roads and buildings. Excessive erosion can also lead to the sedimentation of waterways.

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Types of Erosion

Erosion is usually distinguished by the force that transports rocks, stones, or soil away from their original site.

Water Erosion

Erosion is caused by water in a variety of ways.

• Small amounts of erosion can be caused by individual raindrops, which can eventually turn into a runoff or gully erosion as more water is applied.
• When streams and rivers wear away at their banks, valley erosion occurs, often resulting in canyons.
• Waterways deteriorate over time, transporting stones and soil along their banks.

Water is responsible for transporting these rock bits and dirt in this way. Moving water and waves degrade and carry away particles of the coastal rock during erosion in the sea.

Wind Erosion

Erosion can also be caused by the wind. Dust, sand, and ash are constantly being blown across the globe by the wind.

• Windblown sand can blast against a rock in dry areas, slowly wearing it away.
• Wind erosion can occur on small dust and rock particles, as well as ash.

It may often transfer massive numbers of little particles from their original positions, resulting in remarkable formations such as sand rises.

Ice Erosion​

In many parts of the world, ice erosion is rare.

• Ice can transport large rocks thousands of miles away from their original place.
• The process of massive chunks of ice, known as glaciers, eroding an area over time with the help of gravity is known as ice erosion. 

Check Out: Senescence

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What is Weathering?

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The weathering of rocks, soils, minerals, and artificial materials occurs when they come into touch with the Earth's atmosphere, biota, and waterways. Weathering takes place in situ, or "without movement," and should not be confused with erosion, which involves the movement of rocks and minerals due to forces including water, ice, snow, wind, waves, and gravity.

• Physical and chemical weathering are the two main types of weathering processes, with each involving a biological component at times. 
• The degradation of rocks and soils due to direct contact with atmospheric factors such as heat, water, ice, and pressure is known as mechanical or physical weathering.
• Chemical Weathering refers to the damage caused by the chemical reaction of water or atmospheric gases. 

Types of Weathering

The breakdown and decomposition of rocks are known as weathering. This is a very slow process that could last hundreds of years. Damage to walkways or roads following a severe, frosty winter is an example of fast weathering.

• Weathering is the biological, chemical, and physical activity of the elements of climate and weather, animals, and plants on land surfaces to bring about this mutation.
• Weathering is the first phase in the formation of soil.
• Physical weathering, chemical weathering, and mechanical weathering are the three types of weathering.

Physical weathering​

Water, whether liquid or frozen, is a significant agent of physical deterioration. Water can sneak into cracks and freeze if the temperature dips below freezing.

• As water expands, it freezes, so an ice wedge forms, progressively cracking and splitting the rock.
• As the ice melts, tiny rock fragments are taken away, and this process is known as frost weathering or cryo-fracturing.
• Salt development and tree root growth both go through a similar process.

Physical weathering also includes the rubbing of rocks and smoothing of the surface due to wind and water.

Read More: Sedimentary Rocks

Chemical Weathering

The molecular structure of soil and rocks is altered by chemical weathering. Carbonation occurs when carbon dioxide from the air or soil reacts with water.

• Carbonic acid, a weak acid, originates underground and can dissolve limestone.
• The changes in the chemical structure of the rock are caused by chemical weathering.
• As a result, the rock becomes softer and more breakable.
• Iron in a rock, for example, may react with air to generate decomposable rust, or acids in water may dissolve the calcium in limestone and marble.

Chemical weathering frequently precedes physical weathering, rendering rocks increasingly vulnerable to influences such as wind and rain.

Also Check: Rock Cycle

Mechanical Weathering

Another type of mechanical weathering is freezing and thawing. This can be seen in chilly places where temperatures drop below freezing during the night and then rise during the day.

• When water freezes on a road after rain and turns to black ice, the affected surface expands.
• During the winter, as the road thaws and freezes again, the expanding process causes instability, resulting in potholes.
• Plant roots also contribute to this process.

These roots grow through gaps in the rocks, causing the boulders to crumble. Rocks are weathered chemically and mechanically at the same time. Weathering does not involve the transportation of rock or soil from one place to another, whereas erosion involves the transportation of rock or soil from one place to another.

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Difference Between Erosion and Weathering

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The major differences between erosion and weathering are as follows:

Erosion is the physical removal and transportation of soil and rock by external forces, while weathering is the breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces due to internal and external forces. 

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Examples of Weathering and Erosion

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Weathering is the process of breaking down the surface of a rock, soil, or mineral into tiny fragments. An example of weathering is when little chunks of rock break off on the side of a mountain due to wind and water.

• The breaking down and loosening of rock or soil into smaller pieces is known as weathering, yet the weathered particles remain in situ.
• The movement of weathered (and sometimes nonweathered) fragments away from the source is referred to as erosion.
• Erosion refers to the movement or transit of particles rather than their settling and accumulating in a new site.
• A deposition is the process of particles accumulating in a new area. Sand dunes and certain mountains are the results of deposition.

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Things To Remember

• Weathering and erosion are both geological phenomena that take place naturally in the Earth's crust. 
• Weathering is the initial phase in the decomposition of rock particles in which rocks are broken down into smaller pieces.
• Weathering is caused by physical, chemical, or biological processes.
• Erosion is the movement of rock particles from one place to another, forming valleys, canyons, and deltas.  
• Weathering and erosion play an important role in the formation of soil.
• The difference between weathering and erosion is that weathering is a slower process compared to erosion, which is a faster process.​