Abrasion (geology)

Glacially abraded rocks in western Norway near Jostedalsbreen gntration

Abrasion is a process of erosion that occurs when material being transported wears away at a surface over time, commonly happens in ice and glaciers. The primary process of abrasion is physical weathering. Its the process of friction caused by scuffing, scratching, wearing down, marring, and rubbing away of materials. The intensity of abrasion depends on the hardness, concentration, velocity and mass of the moving particles. Abrasion generally occurs in four ways:[1][2] glaciation slowly grinds rocks picked up by ice against rock surfaces;[3] solid objects transported in river channels make abrasive surface contact with the bed and walls; objects transported in waves breaking on coastlines; and by wind transporting sand or small stones against surface rocks. Abrasion is the natural scratching of bedrock by a continuous movement of snow or glacier downhill. This is caused by a force, friction, vibration, or internal deformation of the ice, and by sliding over the rocks and sediments at the base (that also causes an avalanche) that causes the glacier to move.

Abrasion, under its strictest definition, is commonly confused with attrition and sometimes hydraulic action however, the latter less commonly so. Both abrasion and attrition refers to the wearing down of an object. Abrasion occurs as a result of two surfaces rubbing against each other, resulting in the wearing down of one or both of the surfaces. However, attrition refers to the breaking off of particles (erosion) which occurs as a result of objects hitting against each other. Abrasion leads to surface-level destruction over a period of time, whereas attrition results in more change at a faster rate. Today, the geomorphology community uses the term "abrasion" in a looser way, often interchangeably with the term "wear".[4]

  1. ^ Westgate, Lewis G. (February 1907). "Abrasion by Glaciers, Rivers, and Waves". The Journal of Geology. 15 (2): 113–120. Bibcode:1907JG.....15..113W. doi:10.1086/621381. S2CID 129042164.
  2. ^ Monroe, James Stewart, Reed Wicander, & Richard W. Hazlett. (2011) Physical Geology: Exploring the Earth. Cengage Learning ISBN 9781111795658. pg 465,591
  3. ^ Bennett, Matthew M.; Glasser, Neil F. (2011). "Glacial abrasion". Glacial Geology: Ice Sheets and Landforms. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 109–116. ISBN 978-1-119-96669-2.
  4. ^ Chatanantavet, Phairot; Parker, Gary (25 November 2009). "Physically based modeling of bedrock incision by abrasion, plucking, and macroabrasion". Journal of Geophysical Research. 114 (F4): F04018. Bibcode:2009JGRF..114.4018C. doi:10.1029/2008JF001044.

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