What is erosion?

• A. The deposition of sediments.
• B. The chemical breakdown of rocks in place.
• C. The process by which soil and rock are removed from one location and transported to another, often by wind, water, or ice.
• D. The formation of caves.

Answer: (C)

Erosion is the process by which soil and rock are removed from one location and transported to another, often by wind, water, or ice. This movement of material is what reshapes landscapes, unlike weathering, which breaks rocks down in place without moving them. After erosion moves the material, it may be deposited somewhere else, which is deposition. For example, rivers wear away banks and carry sediment downstream, wind can lift and transport dust, and glaciers can move large rocks along their path. The other ideas describe deposition (settling of sediment), weathering (breakdown in place), or cave formation (often related to dissolution rather than transport), so erosion best matches the described process.