erosion
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GC: n

S: NatGeo – https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/erosion/ (last access: 10 January 2024); FAO – https://www.fao.org/3/ca5582en/CA5582EN.pdf (last access: 10 January 2024).

N: 1. 1540s, from French erosion (16c.), from Latin erosionem (nominative erosio) “a gnawing away,” noun of action from past-participle stem of erodere “to gnaw away, consume,” from assimilated form of ex “away” +rodere “to gnaw”.

2. Geological process in which earthen materials from Earth’s crust, primarily soil and rock debris, are worn away and transported by natural forces such as wind or water.

3. Most erosion is performed by liquid water, wind, or ice (usually in the form of a glacier). The following is a brief description of the different types of erosion:

  • Physical erosion. Landslides and other forms of mass wasting are associated with physical weathering. Plant growth can also contribute to physical erosion in a process called bioerosion.
  • Erosion by water. Liquid water is the major agent of erosion on Earth. Rain, rivers, floods, lakes, and the ocean carry away bits of soil and sand and slowly wash away the sediment. Rainfall produces four types of soil erosion: splash erosion, sheet erosion, rill erosion, and gully erosion.
  • Erosion by wind. Wind is a powerful agent of erosion. Aeolian (wind-driven) processes constantly transport dust, sand, and ash from one place to another.
  • Erosion by ice. Ice, usually in the form of glaciers, can erode the earth and create dramatic landforms. Rocks carried by glaciers scrape against the ground below, eroding both the ground and the rocks.
  • Thermal erosion. It describes the erosion of permafrost along a river or coastline. Warm temperatures can cause ice-rich permafrost to break off coastlines in huge chunks, often carrying valuable topsoil and vegetation with them.
  • Mass wasting. It describes the downward movement of rocks, soil, and vegetation. Mass wasting incidents include landslides, rockslides, and avalanches. They can erode and transport millions of tons of earth, reshaping hills and mountains and, often, devastating communities in its path.

4. Erosion is the opposite of deposition, the geological process in which earthen materials are deposited, or built up, on a landform.

5. Collocations:

  • Adjective: serious, severe| rapid | gradual, steady| coastal, soil | glacial, water, wind.
  • Verb + erosion: cause, contribute to, lead to, result in | protect sth from, reduce | suffer (from).
  • Erosion + verb: affect sth.
  • Phrases: the rate of erosion.

6. Cultural interrelation: We can mention the book Soil Erosion & Conservation (2005) by R. P. C. Morgan.

S: 1. Etymonline – https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=erosion (last access: 10 January 2024). 2. NatGeo – https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/erosion/ (last access: 8 January 2024); ENCBRIT – https://www.britannica.com/science/erosion-geology (last access: 10 January 2024). 3. NatGeo – https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/erosion/ (last access: 10 January 2024). 4. NatGeo – https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/erosion/ (last access: 10 January 2024). 5. OCD – https://www.freecollocation.com/search?word=erosion (last access: 10 January 2024). 6. Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Soil-Erosion-Conservation-Paperback-International/dp/8126539054 (last access: 10 January 2024).

SYN:
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CR: arid zone, avalanche, climate change, cyclone, deforestation, desertification,  disaster risk reduction, disasters, drought, earthquake, eruption, flood, global warming, meteorite, natural disaster, hurricane, landslide, lightning, mudslide, sedimentation, stagnation, thunder, thunderbolt, thunderstorm, tidal wave, tornado, tsunami.

 

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