Western Governors University (WGU) SCIE1020 C165 Integrated Physical Sciences Practice Exam

Erosion is the process that involves the transportation or removal of materials from one location to another. It occurs primarily through the action of wind, water, ice, or gravity, which can wear away rocks and soil and carry these particles to different locations. In this way, erosion plays a crucial role in shaping landscapes, forming valleys, and changing river paths as it picks up and moves sediment.

Weathering, while related, refers specifically to the breakdown of rocks and minerals at their original location without the movement of materials. Deposition represents the process where eroded materials are deposited or settled in a new location, essentially a different phase of the relationship between erosion and sediment transport. Compaction involves the process of sediments being pressed together under pressure, typically after they have been deposited, rather than the active transportation of materials.