Changing Land

Landforms, natural features on Earth’s surface can change due to wind, water, and ice. Wind, water, and ice are agents of change.

Wind

Wind changes Earth’s surface. Wind can weather rock, erode sediments, and deposit sediments in a new place. Wind forms sand dunes and desert rock formations.

Sand dunes are formed when wind erodes sand particles and deposits them to form a hill of sand. This usually occurs on beaches and in deserts.

When fierce winds and rain hit rock formations like mesas and aeolian arches in a desert over time, the rock weathers and sediments erode away.

Water

Waves and moving water in rivers cause weathering, erosion, and deposition. Moving water forms canyons, deltas, sea arches, and cliffs.

A canyon forms over millions of years as a river weathers sediments from the rocks on its side.

Rivers often deposit sediments at the mouth (end) of the river. Deltas, triangular-shaped collections of sediments are formed at the mouth of a river due to deposition.

Ice

Glaciers slowly change Earth’s surface. Glaciers are huge rivers of ice that usually move only a few inches each year. Glaciers form wide valleys and moraines.

Glaciers create wide, U-shaped valleys as they slowly scrape sediments in between mountains.

When glaciers deposit sediments and rocks in a new place, they form moraines. Moraines are piles of soil and rock left behind by glaciers.