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Soil Health · Soil physical process

Soil Erosion

Also known as: Water erosion, Wind erosion

Soil erosion is the detachment and removal of topsoil by water or wind, a process accelerated by cultivation, sparse cover, and slope, that progressively reduces topsoil depth, organic matter, and long-term productivity.

Dated referenceLast reviewed: 2026-07-12Updated: 2026-07-12
Illustrative diagram · AgricultureID (original)

Soil erosion occurs when rainfall, runoff, or wind detaches soil particles from the surface and transports them elsewhere, most severely on bare, sloping, or disturbed land. Water erosion dominates in humid and sub-humid regions, while wind erosion is most significant on flat, dry, and sparsely vegetated land.

Some background erosion occurs naturally on any exposed land surface, but cultivation, overgrazing, and vegetation removal typically accelerate erosion well beyond the rate at which new soil forms, making accelerated erosion a slow but cumulative threat to long-term land productivity.

What soil erosion is

Water erosion begins with raindrop impact detaching soil particles, which are then carried by surface runoff, progressing from diffuse sheet erosion to concentrated rills and, if unchecked, to larger gullies. Wind erosion instead lifts and transports fine, dry soil particles across exposed, unprotected surfaces.

  • Sheet erosion: relatively uniform, thin removal of surface soil across a slope
  • Rill erosion: small, concentrated channels cut by converging runoff
  • Gully erosion: larger, more permanent channels formed by sustained concentrated flow
  • Wind erosion: detachment and transport of dry, exposed soil particles by wind

Why erosion matters

Because topsoil concentrates organic matter, nutrients, and biological activity relative to subsoil, its loss disproportionately reduces a field’s productive capacity, often over a timescale of years to decades rather than being immediately obvious in a single season. Eroded sediment and the nutrients it carries can also degrade downstream waterways.

How erosion is assessed

Erosion is assessed through direct field observation of rills, gullies, and exposed subsoil or plant roots, through erosion-prediction models that estimate soil loss from rainfall, slope, cover, and management factors, and increasingly through remote sensing and elevation data that can detect changes in land surface over time.

Factors influencing erosion risk

FactorGeneral influence
Surface coverVegetation or residue cover generally reduces both water and wind erosion substantially
Slope steepness and lengthSteeper, longer slopes generally increase water erosion risk
Soil texture and structureSusceptibility varies; some silty and sandy soils are notably erosion-prone
Rainfall intensity / wind exposureMore intense rainfall or greater wind exposure generally increases erosion risk
General factors affecting erosion risk (not universal thresholds)

Managing and preventing erosion

Erosion control generally centres on keeping the soil surface covered and reducing the speed or concentration of water and wind at the surface, using a combination of vegetative, structural, and management practices suited to the specific landscape and cropping system.

  • Maintain crop residue or cover crops on the surface between cash crops
  • Reduce tillage intensity to preserve surface cover and aggregate stability
  • Use contour farming, terracing, or grassed waterways on sloping land
  • Establish windbreaks or shelterbelts in wind-erosion-prone areas

Relationships

Evidence-backed connections in the knowledge graph.

Related topics

Scope & limitations

Geographic scope: General soil-science overview applicable worldwide; the balance of water versus wind erosion and the severity of risk vary strongly by climate, topography, and land use.

Climate context: Intense rainfall events drive water erosion, while dry, windy conditions on exposed soil drive wind erosion; regional climate strongly shapes which form dominates.

  • Erosion-prediction models estimate average expected soil loss and do not capture the variability of individual storms or seasons.
  • Susceptibility depends on local soil texture, slope, and climate and cannot be generalized to fixed rules.
  • This entry describes general principles; site-specific erosion control should be guided by local conservation planning.

Sources

This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.

  1. [1]USDA NRCS — Natural Resources Conservation Service (opens in a new tab)

    USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

    Authoritative

    Cited for: Soil erosion processes and control practices

    Type:
    Government agency
    Jurisdiction:
    United States
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  2. [2]FAO — Soils Portal (opens in a new tab)

    FAO Global Soil Partnership

    Authoritative

    Cited for: Soil erosion and land degradation

    Type:
    Intergovernmental organization
    Jurisdiction:
    Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  3. [3]ISRIC — World Soil Information (opens in a new tab)

    ISRIC — World Soil Information

    High

    Cited for: Global soil erosion risk data

    Type:
    Research institute
    Jurisdiction:
    Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  4. [4]Cornell CALS — Plant pathology and crop resources (opens in a new tab)

    Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

    High

    Cited for: Erosion assessment and conservation guidance

    Type:
    University extension service
    Jurisdiction:
    United States (New York)
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12

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