Which process describes the laying down of sediment in new locations?

• A. Weathering
• B. Deposition
• C. Erosion
• D. Rock cycle

Answer: (B)

Deposition is the process of laying down sediment in new locations. After rocks are broken down into smaller pieces, those pieces are carried by wind, water, or ice, and they settle out when the moving energy decreases. This settling forms layers of sediment in places like river bottoms, deltas, beaches, and sand dunes, creating new surfaces and landforms as the material comes to rest.

Think of a river carrying silt downstream; as the water slows, the silt drops out and settles, building up a riverbank or delta over time. Weathering stays where the rock is as it breaks it down in place, erosion involves the removal and transport of material away from its source, and the rock cycle describes the broader processes that transform rocks through time. The act of sediment coming to rest in a new location is deposition.