soil science

Cavitation: intense erosion due to the surface collapse of air bubbles found in rapid flows of water. In the implosion of the bubble, a micro-jet of water is created that travels with high speeds and great pressure producing extreme stress on a very small area of a surface. Cavitation only occurs when water has a very high velocity, and therefore its effects in nature are limited to phenomenon like high waterfalls. Physical, chemical, and biological weathering act to weaken the particle bonds found in rock materials. As a result, weathered materials are normally more susceptible than unaltered rock to the forces of detachment. The agents of erosion can also exert their own forces of detachment upon the surface rocks and soil through the following mechanisms: Detachment