The Natural Wonders Of The World

524 Words3 Pages
Have you ever wondered how the natural wonders of the world were made? Weathering and erosion have made these creations. Water seems to have had the most impact on Earth because this planet has lots of it and it’s always on the move. Working together, erosion and weathering create and reveal marvels of nature. You can see this from boulders high in the mountains, to sandstone arches in the dry desert, to polished cliffs up against the moving seas. Similarities and Differences Weathering takes place as rocks are broken down little by little into smaller pieces by affects of the weather. These pieces do not move to a new location, they just break down in place and remain next to one another. Erosion is the moving of rock, soil, and mineral particles from one location to another. This also breaks down rocks just as weathering does. Most often rocks are broken down so much that they become dirt. Erosion is different from weathering because it moves the weathered rock. Weathering and erosion share some of the same physical agents but weathering is also done chemically. Water and gravity are the two biggest and most important agents they share. The Great Barrier Reef was formed from the eroded sediments of the Great Dividing Range. The Harbor of Rio de Janeiro is located in Brazil and was created by erosion from the Atlantic Ocean. Niagara Falls was created by four-mile thick sheets of ice that melted and carved out the land. Then as the ice continued melting it filled up the holes made from the ice to form the Niagara River and the Great Lakes. Rivers have been known to carve deep canyons in the bedrock in only a few hundred thousand years. One of the greatest examples of this is the Grand Canyon. Somehow, the land in Colorado uplifted 300 million years ago. Then it was weathered by rain, wind and frost down to a plain. Then only to
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