Nature is full of unexpected twists and intricate processes that are not always easy to comprehend for humans. All of the elements that make up our surroundings, such as the hills, valleys, rivers, and other natural features, are also part of nature.
However, not all of these characteristics are there from the start. Some are just the product of nature’s many activities. Erosion and Deposition are two examples of such actions that create significant changes in our environment. Both activities have a similar beginning, yet they go through different trajectories.
Erosion vs Deposition
The main difference between Erosion and Deposition is that these two are the opposite edges of a single process. By comparing their positions, the primary differentiation between them can be made. They’re both parts of the same process. However, Erosion comes first, and Deposition comes afterwards. Without Erosion, there is no possibility of Deposition taking place.
Erosion is the process in which weakened particles of rock are transported from one place to another by certain natural factors. These factors can be rainfall, flood, heavy winds, etc. Such particles are displaced from their original location, and they get deposited at a new place, usually at a low altitude. This process generates new rocks, hills, and rivers and balances nature ultimately.
While on the other side, Deposition is nothing but the final outcome of the process of erosion. After being moved to a new site, the particles establish a grasp on the new spot. They adjust to their new surroundings by settling in. This final step is known as Deposition. Without Deposition, Erosion cannot be said to be completed.
Comparison Between Erosion and Deposition
| Parameters of Comparison | Erosion | Deposition |
| Definition | A process in which natural factors cause the transport of rock particles from one place to other. | A process in which the transported particles settle in the new location. |
| Nature | This is the first step of the whole process of rock particles being transported. | This is the last step of the process. |
| Types | It has four main types- Abrasion Hydraulic Action Solution Attrition | It has three main types- Continental Marine Transitional |
| Caused due to | Water, wind, people, etc. | Reduced speed of water, wind, or glaciers. |
| Impact | Deforestation or soil degradation | Transport of harmful chemicals from one place to another |
| Happens | When the soil loses its shield and becomes vulnerable towards the water, wind, etc. | When the carrier carrying the particles loses its speed. |
What is Erosion?
Erosion is nothing but a natural process of transferring rock and soil fragments from one place to another. This process is carried out by certain agents of mother nature. These can be Volcanos, Glaciers, Air and Water, etc. These agents put force upon certain rocks or soil layers, causing them to shred into multiple tiny particles.
This process usually moves the subject from a higher altitude to a lower altitude. However, there is no limit to the distance, and this movement can take place for up to a thousand kilometers too.
Erosion can of the following types-
- Abrasion
- Hydraulic Action
- Solution
- Attrition
It generally occurs when the plantation loses its disguise and gets exposed to the open wind and water flow. The absence of plant cover makes it easy for the natural forces to shred these structures and transport them to a new place.
In most cases, it does not impact nature badly but sometimes can cause phenomena like deforestation or deep cuts in valleys.
What is Deposition?
In the process of Erosion, the particles which are transported eventually get settled somewhere when the natural forces lose their control. These discarded particles reassemble and deposit in a new structure. The deposition is how we refer to this process. As a result, Deposition is the final puzzle piece, and Erosion is useless without it.
The sediments that are moved from one location to another might have any shape. They usually appear as microscopic particles or fragments, but they can also dissolve in water or be vaporized.
All of these forms eventually make touch with a landmass and form an entirely different structure than the one they used to be a part of.
The location and timing of deposition are determined by the natural forces that carry them. As the carrier’s speed decreases, hefty fragments begin to fall into place, and so on.
Main Differences Between Erosion and Deposition
- While Erosion is the process of rock particles getting shifted from one place to another due to natural forces, Deposition is the process of those particles settling down at a particular place.
- There are mainly four types of Erosion, while there are three types of Deposition.
- Erosion happens to be the first and foremost step in the process due to which new land structures are created, while Deposition is the last step of this particular process.
- Erosion takes place when natural forces such as wind and water loosen the particles of soil or rocks, and Deposition happens when these particles are dropped off somewhere by these natural forces.
- Erosion takes place when certain natural forces interfere with the already existing rocks and elements. While Deposition occurs when these natural forces lose their action and drop off the particles carried by them.
Conclusion
Nature is all about finding the right balance. This balance sometimes necessitates acts that are not always practical for those who are affected. Erosion and deposition are two examples of natural processes that result in significant changes in the environment.
Natural pressures such as severe rains, strong winds, and other factors weaken specific rocks and soil. Because of this flaw, some of their particles get separated. The same natural forces then carry these particles away. Erosion is the name given to the entire process.
But after a while, some or whole of these particles get dropped off by these forces. Such particles then settle in on that new place and create a new structure. This process is termed Deposition. On one side, these two can bring natural disasters such as floods and deforestation, but the fact remains that both of these processes are necessary to strike a balance in nature.
References
- https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-abstract/62/1/1/4382/THREE-CRITICAL-ENVIRONMENTS-OF-DEPOSITION-AND