The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is True.
The statement is accurate because the definition of erosion inherently includes the movement or transportation of weathered material. While often confused with weathering, the two are distinct but related geological processes. Weathering is the initial breakdown of rocks, soil, and minerals at or near the Earth’s surface, with little to no movement of the resulting particles. Erosion is the subsequent action of carrying those particles away.
For this transportation to happen, a force or medium, known as a transporting agent, must be involved. The primary agents of erosion are water, wind, and gravity. Without one of these agents, the broken-down rock and soil would simply remain in place, and the process would be classified as weathering alone.
Water is a dominant transporting agent in several forms. Rivers and streams carve through landscapes, carrying sediment downstream. Raindrops can dislodge soil particles, a process called splash erosion, and surface runoff can then carry them away. Ocean waves constantly work to move sand and erode coastlines. Glaciers act like immense conveyors, scouring the ground beneath them and transporting vast quantities of rock and debris over long distances.
Wind is another significant agent, particularly effective in arid regions or areas with sparse vegetation. It can lift and carry fine particles like sand, silt, and dust, sometimes for thousands of miles. This process is known as aeolian erosion.
Gravity is the underlying force that drives all mass wasting events, which are a form of erosion. It causes materials to move downslope in events such as landslides, mudflows, rockfalls, and the slow, steady process of soil creep. In each of these instances, a transporting agent is the critical component that moves material, thereby fulfilling the definition of erosion.
