Question

Distinguish between the following:
Sheet erosion and gully erosion.

Answer 1

Sheet Erosion :

• Sheet Erosion causes washing out the upper layer of soil and vegetation cover due to heavy rainfall or floods.

Gully Erosion :

• Through gully erosion deep cuts, cracks and trenches are carved in the soil-bed, These tend to be deeper channels known as ‘gullies’.

Answer 2

Sheet Erosion: When the vegetation cover of an area is removed, the rain, instead of sinking into the ground, washes the soil downslope. Each succeeding rain-storm washes away a thin layer of absorbed top soil. This is known as Sheet Erosion.
Gully Erosion: When rain falls more heavily, the flow off stormwater finds its way downhill in a series of channels.
Every fresh down pour widens and deepens the channels which develop into gullies. Gullies cut up agricultural land into small fragments and make them finally unfit for cultivation. This type of erosion is known as Gully Erosion.