Question

Make a list of the external agents that change the earth's surface and explai any four of them.

Answer 1

The earth's surface is affected by many external factors like-

• Water
• Wind
• Ice
• Vegetation
• Human Activities

Some of them are explained as follows -

1. Water- Water moving across the earth in streams and rivers pushes along soil and breaks down pieces of rock in a process called erosion. The moving water carries away rock and soil from some areas and deposits them in other areas, creating new landforms or changing the course of a stream or river, and sometimes, it can also lead to the fertilization and enrichment of a landmass with natural nutrients.
2. Wind- Wind is a powerful force that changes Earth's surface through weathering, erosion, and deposition. These three processes can create beautiful landscapes and interesting shapes in the rock. But wind can also cause damage to plants and houses and ruin and destroy the natural and man-made habitat of many living organisms.
3. Ice- Melting ice causes more warming. As global warming causes more snow and ice to melt each summer, the ocean and land that were underneath the ice are exposed to the Earth's surface. Because they are darker in color, the ocean and land absorb more incoming solar radiation and then release the heat to the atmosphere.
4. Human Activities- Humans impact the physical environment in many ways: overpopulation, pollution, burning fossil fuels, and deforestation. Changes like these have triggered climate change, soil erosion, poor air quality, and undrinkable water.

Hence, all the external factors play an important role in deciding the fate of the earth's surface.