Soil Erosion Causes

The geological process wherein soil particles are detached and transported by the various agents of erosion is known as soil erosion. These agents of erosion include water, wind, glaciers, and gravity. There are plenty of soil erosion causes which are triggered by various phenomena taking place on the planet. They may range from slow moving ice bodies in the glacial mountains, to landslides caused by earthquakes.

Types of Soil Erosion

Soil erosion is broadly categorized into different types depending on the agent which triggers the erosion activity. Mentioned below are the four main types of soil erosion.

Water Erosion: Water erosion is seen in many parts of the world. In fact, running water is the most common agent of soil erosion. This includes rivers which erode the river basin, rainwater which erodes various landforms, and the sea waves which erode the coastal areas. Water erodes and transports soil particles from higher altitude and deposits them in low lying areas.

Wind Erosion: Wind erosion is most often witnessed in dry areas wherein strong winds brush against various landforms, cutting through them and loosening the soil particles, which are eroded and transported towards the direction in which the wind flows. The best example of structures formed by wind erosion are mushroom rocks, typically found in deserts.

Glacial Erosion: Glacial erosion, also referred to as ice erosion, is common in cold regions at high altitudes. When soil comes in contact with large moving glaciers, it sticks to the base of these glaciers. This is eventually transported with the glaciers, and as they start melting it is deposited in the course of the moving chunks of ice.

Gravitational Erosion: Although gravitational erosion is not as common a phenomenon as water erosion, it can cause huge damage to natural, as well as man-made structures. It is basically the mass movement of soil due to gravitational force. The best examples of this are landslides and slumps. While landslides and slumps happen within seconds, phenomena such as soil creep happen over a longer period.

What Causes Soil Erosion?

There is no particular soil erosion cause which can be singled out and assumed as the main cause of soil erosion. The process has many underlying factors, some induced by nature and some by humans.

Human Induced Causes of Soil Erosion
Human exploitation of nature is perhaps the most hazardous cause of soil erosion, which has increased over the last decade. Human activities, such as faulty farming systems, deforestation caused by overgrazing, clearance of land for agricultural purposes and construction, dam construction and diversion of the natural course of river, and mining activities are just a few among the various human activities which have either directly or indirectly weakened the topmost layer of the planet, thus making it vulnerable to excessive wearing away by the various agents of erosion. For instance, tree roots help in holding the soil together, and therefore depletion of vegetation cover is bound to make soil vulnerable to erosion by running water.

Natural Causes of Soil Erosion

Gradient of Slope: Gradient of the slope is an important factor when it comes to soil erosion. In fact, erosion and gradient have a direct relationship. The steeper the gradient, higher is the rate of erosion and vice versa. This factor plays an important role in water erosion, glacial erosion, and gravitational erosion.

Soil Properties: The vulnerability of a piece of land to soil erosion depends on the physical and chemical properties of the soil as well. Different types of soil have different physical and chemical properties. The texture, structure, water retention capability, etc. play an important role in determining whether the soil is susceptible to erosion by various agents of erosion or not. This factor is common in all the above mentioned types of erosion.

Water Flow: Hydrological cycle, especially the surface flow as well as underground flow also play a major role in soil erosion. Variation in the velocity and type of the flow determine the gradient of soil erosion. This is the major factor when it comes to water erosion, and sometimes even in case of glacial erosion.

Climate: Climate determines the precipitation levels and wind velocity, which in turn effect soil erosion. More precipitation means more surface flow, and more surface flow means more area vulnerable to erosion by running water. Similarly, if the wind velocity is high, erosion will also be high and eroded material will be carried farther. The climate factor plays an important role in case of wind erosion and water erosion.

All the geographical processes occurring on the planet are inter-related, and a slight alteration in one tends to result in a domino effect on ten other process, which are directly or indirectly related to each other. For instance, if soil cover is depleted vegetation cover will deplete, which will in turn affect the food source for humans. It's high time we understand the geological concept of soil erosion, and initiate soil conservation and erosion control measures. We have already induced major hazards such as climate change and global warming on the planet, adding more would only mean adding to our own woes.