CBSE · Class 10 · Social Science · Geography: Resources and DevelopmentWhat is soil erosion? Mention the main types of soil erosion caused by running water.

Soil erosion is defined as the denudation or washing away of the topsoil cover by natural physical agents like water, wind, and glaciers, or human activities like deforestation, overgrazing, and improper construction. \nRunning water is a primary agent of soil erosion and causes two major types of erosion:

1. Sheet Erosion: When water flows as a thick sheet over large areas down a slope, the top layer of soil is washed away uniformly over a broad area. This is known as sheet erosion.
2. Gully Erosion: Running water cuts deep channels through clayey soils, forming steep trenches called gullies. This process makes the land unfit for cultivation, turning it into 'bad land'. In the Chambal basin, such gullied landforms are called ravines.