Science 4.ESS1, 4.ESS2, 4.LS4
Dr. Wise
Erosion
Erosion Facts For Kids
Erosion sounds like a complicated word, doesn’t it? What in the world is erosion?
Well we’re going to tell you everything you need to know, and you’ll be a superstar in your next Geography test!
There are different forces around us, like wind, water and ice, and these forces are the very things that cause erosion.
Basically erosion is where land is worn away by these different forces.
If you think of water erosion, next time you go onto the beach, look for really smooth stones.
These smooth stones have often been tossed and turned around in the sea by waves which make them smooth. So, erosion can change the way that things look, even things like mountains, coastlines and valleys too.
Weathering
Weathering
Weathering is the process where rock is dissolved, worn away or broken down into smaller and smaller pieces. There are mechanical, chemical and organic weathering processes. Organic weathering happens when plants break up rocks with their growing roots or plant acids help dissolve rock.
Fossils
What are fossils?
Fossils are the preserved remains, or traces of remains, of ancient organisms. Fossils are not the remains of the organism itself! They are rocks.
A fossil can preserve an entire organism or just part of one. Bones, shells, feathers, and leaves can all become fossils.
How do fossils help us learn about the past?
Paleontologists are people who study fossils. Paleontologists find and study fossils all over the world, in almost every environment, from the hot desert to the humid jungle. Studying fossils helps them learn about when and how different species lived millions of years ago. Sometimes, fossils tell scientists how the Earth has changed. Fossils of ancient marine animals called ammonites have been unearthed in the highest mountain range in the world, the Himalayas in Nepal. This tells scientists that millions of years ago, the rocks that became the Himalayas were at the bottom of the ocean. Fossils of an ancient giant shark, a megalodon, have been found in the landlocked U.S. state of Utah. This tells scientists that millions of years ago, the middle of North America was probably entirely underwater.