Water erosion: definition, types, causes and consequences

Water erosion is that Erosion of the terrain that occurs due to the passage of water. This moving water is withdrawing material from the Earth, that is, it produces the erosion of the soil and is wearing it little by little, and then deposits this material downstream. The dragged material can understand from fine sandy particles to large rocks.

It is a process that substantially contributes to the land modelingboth in the material load area and in the deposit zone, and that it is necessary to take into account both in the management of natural spaces and in the management of anthropic spaces and, for example, cultivation fields or cities. Although it may seem vain, the orography It is a key element in our lives. In the following sections we give you some keys to understand why.

There are different variants of erosion due to Water flow. This erosion depends largely on whether the flow of water is continuous or not, on the speed of water, on the obstacles that is on the road … However, we will see some keys to understand the scope of this phenomenon and know the different Types of water erosion:

Water erosion on the surface

The first type of water erosion that comes to mind are river water courses. The rivers and other smaller currents are responsible for modeling the land from the high mountains to the coastal areas, through an immense variety of intermediate forms. In general, the river channels are shared by V in the most steep areas, that is, in the mountainous areas, while tend to widen in the flattest areas. In addition, in the mountainous areas it usually drags larger rocks.

Water erosion underground

However, surface erosion is not the only one we find. Especially in those areas that we call karst, the water also models the interior of the earth, giving rise to simas and caves with spectacular formations, such as stalactites, stalagmites or flags (also called candles).

Glacier erosion

Although it is not strictly erosion caused by water, we also find glacier erosion, due to the passage of ice, which can drag large rock formations. Water also contributes significantly to erosion when cryofracture, or fracture of the rock is produced due to the freezing of the water that remains among the small interstices of the same.

We tell you more about this topic in this other article on glacier erosion: definition, types and examples.

The cause of water erosion It is the Water cycleone of the most important cycles of ecosystems. In summary, the water evaporates from the large masses of water, such as lakes and seas, and by perspiration of plants. Once in the atmosphere, the condensation of water is moved and occurs, giving rise to the clouds, which in the end will lead to some type of precipitation (snow, hail, rain …). When these rainfall falls, water courses are formed that run through the surface and the terrestrial interior until a new evaporation cycle suffers. It is in this last stage, in the Water circulation from higher areas to lower areas, when Erosion occurs.

In this other ecology article, you can know better what the water cycle is.

The consequences of water erosion They go beyond the change of the structure of rivers and lakes. In land modeling we find a wide variety of forms resulting from the Water erosion on Earthsuch as meandros, gullies, karst landscape, alluvial plains … Each of these forms has a certain development and sometimes they are even decisive for the type of flora and fauna that sits in it or in its surroundings. A very clear example of the latter is the troglobia fauna, or fauna that lives in The caveswhich have mostly formed thanks to the erosion of water.

We also notice the influence of water erosion on purely anthropic activities, such as Agriculture. As we have mentioned, rivers drag various materials, among which organic matter can be found. Once deposited downstream, these alms or nutrient -rich clays act as natural fertilizer of the fields. The paradigmatic example is that of the Nile River, although it also occurs in other channels.

We must take into account that we greatly modify erosion and water deposit, by means of channels or even by dams. Especially the latter avoid the transport of downstream materials and suppose a barrier to the continuity of the rivers. In the Nile you can do up to three openings (which is three crops) a year.

Finally, we must not forget that sometimes our own activity can be harmful when we do not take into account the relief of the land. This occurs when towns or cities are based on areas eroded by water, that is, by ancient river channels. These are the most probable step of water, so the population nuclei settled in Ancient river channels are prone to floods.

In this other post of ecology, you can learn more about anthropic erosion: what is and examples.

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