Meaning of denudation

Every part of the earth’s surface is continuously destructed or constructed by various forces of nature.

The wind, sea waves, river and glaciers are continuously removing great amount of materials from one place to another.

Denudation is the process of breaking and removing the rocks from the surface of the earth.

It is the wearing and tearing away of landmass leading to a reduction in elevation and relief of landforms.

The process of denudation is a twofold process, both Destructive and constructive.

It is destructive as it tears away the rock and then transports the weathered material.

It is constructive as it deposits the weathered material.

Denudation is dynamic and it is a long term process.

Let’s discuss the agents of denudation.

The main agents of denudation are weathering, erosion, mass movement, transportation and deposition.

Weathering

Weathering is the process of breaking down of rocks but not its removal.

It is the disintegration and decomposition of rocks in size by natural agents at or near the surface of the earth.

This process happens due to change in weather conditions like temperature, moisture, precipitation.

The breakdown of rocks may occur through physical forces, chemical forces or by roots of plants, animals, insects etc.

There are mainly three types of weathering- physical, chemical and biological.

Erosion

Erosion is the displacement of rocks by agents of nature.

It is the deterioration, disintegration and wearing away of earth’s landscape.

The main agents of erosion are running water, glacier, wind, ground water and sea waves.

Erosion is caused by the movement of these eroding agents.

And as result of these movements smaller particles of rocks are transported to another place.

Mass movement or mass wasting

Disintegrated and fragmented rock materials produced by the process of weathering are called rock wastes.

Mass movement is the large scale movements of these rock wastes down the slope due to gravitational pull.

The steeper the slope, the more rapid is the movement.

Apart from gravitational pull, mass movement is accelerated by the presence of water, ice and air.

Mass movements can be seen during mudslides, landslides and avalanches.

Transportation

Transportation is the movement of material loosened by erosion and transported to the other place.

The main agents of transportation are running water, wind and glacier and sea waves.

These agents carry away the particles removed from one part of the earth’s surface to another.

Deposition

Deposition is the laying down of material that has been weathered, eroded and transported by natural agents.

These natural agents are running water, wind and glacier and sea waves.

The material carried away is deposited in some other place where it may accumulate to form landforms.

These landforms are known as depositional landforms.

Revision

Denudation is the process of breaking and removing the rocks from the surface of the earth. It is both Destructive and constructive

The main agents of denudation are weathering, erosion, mass movement, transportation and deposition.

The End