Streams and moving water are the major agents of ____.

Streams and moving water are the major agents of ____.

• A. Erosion
• B. Deposition
• C. Weathering
• D. Frost Wedging

Answer: (A)

Moving water wears away and removes material from the landscape, using its flow energy to detach particles from bed and banks and transport them downstream. This is erosion—the process by which rock and soil are worn away and moved by natural forces. Streams erode by several mechanisms: hydraulic action (water pressure breaking loose material), abrasion (particles grinding against rock), and dissolution (minerals dissolving in water). The intense flow also carves channels, valleys, and can transport sediments to new locations. Deposition happens when the water loses enough energy to drop the carried sediment, forming features like deltas and sandbars, but it is erosion that is driven most by moving water. Weathering, including frost wedging, describes rocks breaking down in place, and is not the primary process of transporting material by flowing streams.

Moving water wears away and removes material from the landscape, using its flow energy to detach particles from bed and banks and transport them downstream. This is erosion—the process by which rock and soil are worn away and moved by natural forces. Streams erode by several mechanisms: hydraulic action (water pressure breaking loose material), abrasion (particles grinding against rock), and dissolution (minerals dissolving in water). The intense flow also carves channels, valleys, and can transport sediments to new locations. Deposition happens when the water loses enough energy to drop the carried sediment, forming features like deltas and sandbars, but it is erosion that is driven most by moving water. Weathering, including frost wedging, describes rocks breaking down in place, and is not the primary process of transporting material by flowing streams.