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| 1. |
Explain the different types of soil erosion. |
| Answer» Wind erosion is of two primary varieties: deflation\xa0where the wind picks up and carries away loose particles; and abrasion\xa0where surfaces are worn down as they are struck by airborne particles carried by wind.Rainfall and the surface runoff which may result from rainfall, produces four main types of soil erosion:\xa0splash erosion,\xa0sheet erosion,\xa0rill erosion, and\xa0gully erosion. Splash erosion is generally seen as the first and least severe stage in the soil erosion process, which is followed by sheet erosion, then rill erosion and finally gully erosion.In\xa0splash erosion, the impact of falling raindrop creates a small crater in the soil,ejecting soil particles..Gully erosion\xa0occurs when runoff water accumulates and rapidly flows in narrow channels during or immediately after heavy rains or melting snow, removing soil to a considerable depth.If the soil is saturated or if the rainfall rate is greater than the rate at which the water can infilterate\xa0into the soil, surface runoff occurs. If the runoff has sufficient flow energy, it will transport loosened soil particles sediment down the slope.\xa0Sheet erosion\xa0is the transport of loosened soil particles by overland flow.\xa0Bank erosion\xa0is the wearing away of the banks of a stream or river\xa0Valley\xa0or\xa0stream erosion\xa0occurs with continued water flow along a linear feature. The erosion is both downward, deepening the valley, and headward extending the valley into the hillside, creating head cuts and steep banks. In the earliest stage of stream erosion, the erosive activity is dominantly vertical, the valleys have a typical\xa0V\xa0cross-section and the stream gradient is relatively steep | |