corrasion

/kə-ˈrā-zhən kȯ-/ (ame, mw)

corrasion — noun

1. in geology, a process in which loose mineral particles — such as sand grains, pe

1.名詞C2
釋義

in geology, a process in which loose mineral particles — such as sand grains, pebbles, or rock fragments — are transported by wind, flowing water, waves, or glacial ice and scrape across solid rock surfaces, steadily grinding them down over time.

例句

The steep cliffs along the coast of Norfolk show clear signs of corrasion from wind-blown sand.

corrasion by wind-blown sand — agent + mechanism

As the glacier retreated, it left behind polished bedrock surfaces that had been shaped by corrasion over thousands of years.

corrasion by glacial debris — different agent

同義詞
  • abrasion

    used almost interchangeably in geology, though abrasion can also refer to polishing by finer sediment

  • attrition

    often implies the particles wearing down themselves rather than the rock surface

  • erosion

    a broader term that includes corrasion, chemical weathering, and other removal processes

反義詞
  • deposition

    the opposite process — building up material rather than wearing it away

用法筆記

Corrasion is one specific form of erosion; it refers only to the wearing caused by the abrasive action of transported particles, not to chemical weathering or the sheer force of moving water alone.

常見錯誤

❌The river's corrasion carved a new channel through chemical weathering.
✅The river's corrasion carved a new channel as sediment scraped the riverbed.
💡Corrasion is mechanical abrasion, not chemical weathering.