What is soil erosion?

Soil erosion is a three-phase process in which soil particles are detached, transported, and deposited by physical forces such as rainfall, flowing water, wind, and ice. It is a major form of land degradation worldwide.

The EUSO soil degradation dashboard identifies five types of soil erosion: erosion by water, erosion by wind, harvest erosion, tillage erosion, and post-fire recovery. In this MOOC we focus on erosion by water, as it is the most widespread erosion process in Europe.