The rock cycle is never-ending and is constantly changing the landscape through a series of different processes. Scientists use knowledge about the formation, weathering, and erosion of rocks to study the planet's history. Students will enjoy creating visual aids to help them understand the rock cycle and types of weathering!
Water can remove soil, rocks, and dissolved material from one area to another. Erosion by water can take different forms: rainfall, river, ocean wave, and floods.
Large amounts of dust, sand, and volcanic ash can be blown by wind over huge distances. Wind is the agent of erosion that causes sand to form into large sand dunes. Dust has been known to travel over entire oceans.
ICE
Agents of Erosion
GRAVITY
Ice can move rocks and rock particles through glaciers. A glacier is a body of ice that is constantly moving very slowly because of gravity.
Gravity is also an agent of erosion. When rocks are weathered, the rock particles can fall from the rocks due to the force of gravity. This is also known as mass movement.