Which process describes the movement of rock, sediment, and sand by water, which can create canyons and increase with slope or water speed?

• A. Wind Erosion
• B. Soil Erosion
• C. Water Erosion
• D. Terracing

Answer: (C)

Water erosion is the movement of rock, sediment, and sand by flowing water, and it shapes landscapes by using the energy of the moving water to loosen and transport materials. When a river or stream speeds up or the slope increases, its ability to carry and grind away material grows, so it can carve deep channels and form canyons over time. The processes behind this include the water’s physical grabbing of particles (abrasion), the pressure of moving water against material (hydraulic action), and, in some cases, dissolving soluble minerals. This explains why steeper gradients or faster flow intensify erosion and lead to the cutting of valleys and canyons.

Wind erosion involves moving sediment by air and tends to form features like dunes or rock formations shaped by wind, not deep canyons. Soil erosion focuses on the loss of soil from surfaces, not rock and larger sediments. Terracing is a farming technique used to reduce erosion, not a natural erosion process.