The process of erosion occurs when the surface of the land is worn away and lost.

Soil erosion can have highly dangerous effects.  To prevent erosion, many human societies throughout world history have used devices such as terraces.  Had they simply allowed erosion to occur, their food supplies would have decreased severely.  In some civilizations, erosion caused so much damage that the civilization declined and fell apart.

There are many specific types of erosion.  In gully erosion, thin water columns quickly remove the soil from an area.  Rill erosion occurs when many tiny water channels are formed, and interrill erosion happens when a layer of soil is removed.

Saltation erosion is the removal of soil and minerals by wind, water, or gravity.  The soil bounces and moves away to another location.

Surface creep occurs when the wind blows small particles along the ground, picking up soil particles and blowing them away through the air.

Erosion has many causes, both natural and human-based.  Water, wind, ice, and other natural elements can start the erosion process.  Many human processes also cause the soil to be eroded, with negative results for the inhabitants of the area.

Erosion can ruin farmland, wetlands, habitats, streams, and even whole ecosystems.

Measurements of total erosion have been made over time.  Using the Universal Soil Loss Equation and the Wind Erosion Equation, statistics can be standardized, unlike in the past when studies were commonly performed in different ways.

CAD software for measuring erosion

Minimizing soil erosion