How does gravity affect erosion and deposition?
1 Answer
Gravity tends to move weathered rock material in a downward motion through streams or mass wasting.
Explanation:
Gravity rolls rocks down mountains (a type of mass wasting) or moves small weathered rock particles down through streams or creeks or by wind. Erosion due to gravity can also take the form of creep, which occurs very slowly and is essentially continuous, or mudflows, which occur rapidly. It can also occur in the form of slump, where sediments are pulled by gravity down a curved surface. Another related form of erosion due to gravity is slide, which is when sediments move down a slope.
Once erosion reaches a low point and low energy, it tends to drop the sediment load (deposition). Most sediment is deposited in the oceans as deltas.
