What Is Weathering and Erosion?

Is this a question your students have been asking during class or have difficulty understanding? Let’s take a quick look at the differences between these two processes.

Weathering is the breakdown of rocks and other materials at or near the Earth’s surface due to physical, chemical, or biological means. This can happen through processes such as freezing and thawing, plant roots wedging into rocks, and the movement of water and wind. The end result of weathering is the transformation of larger materials into smaller pieces.

Erosion, on the other hand, is the transportation of these smaller fragments, or sediments, by natural means such as water, wind, ice or gravity.  These sediments are taken away from their place of origin and deposited elsewhere (otherwise known as deposition). Erosion can result in the formation of landforms such as valleys, canyons and deltas.

Download and Print Your Erosion and Weathering Display

Get ready to download your new science vocabulary word wall!  This resource is available as a printable PDF file and an editable Google Slides file. Click the dropdown arrow on the download button to select your resource file, click print, and you’ll have a fantastic tool to help your students learn and retain all those new science vocabulary words.