How does gravity contribute to erosion? Gravity pulls loose rocks and soil downhill. Gravity also causes water to flow downhill and running water can cause erosion.

Image Credit: MBG. Mass movement is an erosional process that moves rocks and sediments downslope due to the force of gravity. The material is transported from higher elevations to lower elevations where other transporting agents like streams or glaciers can pick it up and move to even lower elevations.

Gravity moves earth materials from higher elevations to lower elevations. Landslides, avalanches, and mudflows are examples of dangerous erosion by gravity. Slump and creep move material slowly downslope. Plants, retaining walls, and good drainage are ways to help prevent landslides.

Explanation: Gravity rolls rocks down mountains (a type of mass wasting) or moves small weathered rock particles down through streams or creeks or by wind. Erosion due to gravity can also take the form of creep, which occurs very slowly and is essentially continuous, or mudflows, which occur rapidly.

The three main forces that cause erosion are water, wind, and ice. Water is the main cause of erosion on Earth. Rainfall – Rainfall can cause erosion both when the rain hits the surface of the Earth, called splash erosion, and when raindrops accumulate and flow like small streams.

Erosion is the process by which the surface of the Earth gets worn down. Erosion can be caused by natural elements such as wind and glacial ice. The key to erosion is something called “fluid flow.” Water, air, and even ice are fluids because they tend to flow from one place to another due to the force of gravity.

You can reduce soil erosion by:

1. Maintaining a healthy, perennial plant cover.
2. Mulching.
3. Planting a cover crop – such as winter rye in vegetable gardens.
4. Placing crushed stone, wood chips, and other similar materials in heavily used areas where vegetation is hard to establish and maintain.

Install splash guards at each corner of your gutters to direct water through the entire system, rather than having it run off the edge. At each corner, place a metal splash guard that matches your existing gutter system in color, and secure it to the very edge of the gutter using 1/2-inch sheet metal screws.

Try combining methods such as erosion control netting with varied planting and mulching. You can use plants with various root depths to make garden beds on hillside terraces and accent the terraced slope with a dry creek bed at the base. Boulders and stones pair well with plants and mulch to help prevent erosion.

Types Of Rocks To Help Stop Erosion

1. 1) Cobblestones.
2. 2) Gravel.
3. 3) Non-Absorbent Stone.
4. 4) Riprap.
5. 1) Using Retaining Walls.
6. 2) Anchoring Plant Beds With Boulders.
7. 3) Creating A Rock Toe For Shorelines.
8. 4) Rock Terraces.

Choose the Right Rock for the Best Erosion Control

• Fill Gravel-Our most popular grades of fill gravel are 57 & 67 stone, which is perfect for French drains and dirt driveways.
• Rip Rap-Rip rap stones are generally about 10-18” in size, and are great for stabilizing a hillside or a shoreline.

Five Ways To Stop Erosion On A Hillside

1. 1) Build A Garden Terrace. Preventing soil erosion on a hillside is a steep challenge.
2. 3) Use Sandbags As Diversions. You can’t necessarily fight nature, but you can certainly try to channel and divert it.
3. 5) Use Geotextiles Or Erosion Control Blankets.

Luckily, river rock landscaping can prevent erosion. A layer of river rock on a steep grade can hold in place the soil and prevent runoff, in turn preventing erosion.

Gravel is another common ingredient in erosion prevention measures. The mine grinds this rock into small stones and sells it as gravel. The gravel is layered on the surface of dams, fences and boards used to prevent erosion. The gravel gives the soil something to catch onto, holding it in the presence of flowing water.

The effects of soil erosion go beyond the loss of fertile land. It has led to increased pollution and sedimentation in streams and rivers, clogging these waterways and causing declines in fish and other species. And degraded lands are also often less able to hold onto water, which can worsen flooding.

What is the cheapest rock for landscaping? Crushed gravel and pea gravel tend to be the cheapest landscape rocks.

River rock prices are $45 to $130 per ton or $50 to $160 per yard. Bulk river rock prices are $350 to $980 to buy a 7-ton truckload delivered. Large landscaping rocks cost $100 to $350 per ton.

Rockin’ Landscapes: The 5 Best Types of Landscape Rocks

1. Decomposed Granite. If you want a soft, rustic look for your yard, decomposed granite is one of the best landscape rock types out there.
2. Pea Gravel. These landscape gravel types are often at 1/4-inch to 1/8-inch in terms of size.
3. Crushed Granite Gravel.
4. Lava Rock.
5. River Rock.

Landscape Rock Pricing by Type

gravel

A truck load of gravel costs $1,350 or more with a 10-yard minimum, including delivery and spreading based on the rock type, amount, truck size (double or tri-axle), and travel distance. Most rock-fill jobs use a 3-man crew plus a tractor for $46 per hour that spread 12 cubic yards per hour.