The three main forces that cause erosion are water, wind, and ice. Water is the main cause of erosion on Earth. Although water may not seem powerful at first, it is one of the most powerful forces on the planet.
You have natural drivers, such as a wildfire or climate change or land cover changes, or human drivers, such as Catchment management or land and water management.
Water erosion is caused by the detachment and transport of soil by rainfall, runoff, melting snow or ice, and irrigation. Excessive erosion can threaten the production of agricultural and forest products. Erosion may also impact water conveyance and storage structures, and contribute to pollution from land surfaces.
Impacts of erosion
- reduced ability of the soil to store water and nutrients.
- exposure of subsoil, which often has poor physical and chemical properties.
- higher rates of runoff, shedding water and nutrients otherwise used for crop growth.
- loss of newly planted crops.
- deposits of silt in low-lying areas.
Is water the main cause of erotion?