erosion
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Processes such as erosion, weathering, and tectonic plate movement slowly change Earth's surface over time. Erosion wears down rock and soil, weathering breaks down rocks into smaller pieces, and tectonic plate movement can lead to the formation of mountains or valleys. These processes can take millions of years to significantly alter the Earth's surface.
Some examples of gradual changes to Earth's surface include erosion by wind and water, weathering of rocks, deposition of sediment, and plate tectonics moving continents slowly over time. These processes shape the landscape and contribute to the constant evolution of Earth's surface.
Weathering is the surface process that slowly disintegrates and decomposes rock over time. This can be due to physical processes like frost wedging or chemical processes like acid rain.
Wegener's theory that the continents slowly moved over Earth's surface became known as the theory of continental drift.
The process is called the rock cycle. It involves the continuous transformation of rocks through processes such as weathering, erosion, deposition, melting, and cooling in the Earth's crust and mantle over millions of years. These processes result in the formation of different types of rocks, including sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks.
One way the Earth's surface can change slowly is through the process of erosion, where rocks and soil are gradually worn away by natural elements like wind, water, and ice. This can lead to the shaping of landscapes over long periods of time.