What is erosion?

Erosion is the process that involves the movement of weathered and broken-up pieces of rock and soil from one location to another. This occurs through various natural agents such as water, wind, ice, and gravity. The movement can happen in different forms, such as transporting sediments downriver or shifting sand dunes across a desert landscape.

The other options represent different geological processes. For instance, forming sedimentary rocks refers to the compaction and cementation of sediments, while the formation of metamorphic rocks involves the transformation of existing rocks under pressure and heat. The creation of volcanoes is related to tectonic activity and the melting of rock to form magma, rather than the movement of existing materials. Understanding erosion provides insights into how landscapes change over time and the cycle of rock formation.