Erosion & Landforms Sandbox

Watch how water, wind, ice, and plants slowly reshape the land. Slide through time from 1 year to 1 million years, compare before and after, label 8 landforms, and learn the difference between weathering and erosion.

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Moving water is the most powerful erosion agent on Earth. Rivers, rain, and waves reshape the land.

  • Carves valleys and canyons
  • Creates riverbeds
  • Smooths rocks
  • Builds deltas where rivers meet the sea

Landscape View

Water erosion
Before50% erodedAfter
1 thousand years
1 year1,000 yr1 million yr

Landforms created by Water

Valley

Low area between mountains, carved by water or ice

Canyon

Deep, narrow valley with steep sides carved by a river

Delta

Fan-shaped land built where a river meets the sea

Cliff

Steep rock face shaped by waves, ice, or weathering

Cave

Underground hollow carved by water dissolving rock

River

Flowing water that carries sediment and shapes the land

Reference Guide

Erosion

Erosion is the movement of rock and soil from one place to another by water, wind, ice, or gravity. Moving water is the strongest erosion force on Earth.

Rivers carve valleys and canyons. Ocean waves shape cliffs and beaches. Rain washes soil downhill. Over thousands or millions of years, erosion reshapes entire landscapes.

Water
Rivers, rain, waves
Wind
Sand, dust storms
Ice
Glaciers
Gravity
Landslides, rockfalls

Weathering

Weathering breaks rock into smaller pieces without moving it. There are three kinds of weathering.

Mechanical weathering breaks rock physically. Ice freezes in cracks and expands, splitting rock apart.
Chemical weathering changes rock through chemical reactions. Acid rain slowly dissolves limestone.
Biological weathering happens when living things break rock. Tree roots grow into cracks and push rock apart.

Landforms

Landforms are natural features on Earth's surface. Erosion creates and shapes many landforms over long periods of time.

MountainTall, pushed up by Earth's forces ValleyLow area carved by water or ice CanyonDeep narrow valley from a river DeltaFan of land where river meets sea Sand DuneHill of sand shaped by wind CliffSteep rock face from waves or ice CaveHollow carved by dissolving rock RiverFlowing water that shapes the land

Time and Change

Erosion is slow. Most changes take thousands or millions of years. Small changes add up over very long periods.

The Grand Canyon took about 5 to 6 million years to form. The Colorado River carved through layer after layer of rock, a little bit each year.

Think about it: If a river erodes 1 millimeter of rock per year, that is 1 meter every 1,000 years and 1 kilometer every 1 million years!