Which of the following best describes erosion?

The best description of erosion is the movement of sediments from one place to another. Erosion involves the transportation of soil and rock particles that have been worn away from their original location, usually by wind, water, ice, or gravity. This process can lead to the reshaping of landscapes over time as materials are moved from higher elevations to lower areas, where they may eventually settle and contribute to sediment deposits.

The other choices refer to different geological processes. For example, a change in the chemical makeup of rocks describes chemical weathering, where minerals within the rocks are altered due to chemical reactions, but this does not involve the transport of sediments. The breaking down of rocks into smaller pieces describes physical weathering or fragmentation, which is a precursor to erosion rather than the process itself. Finally, the formation of new rocks relates to processes such as lithification and igneous activity, which involves new rock creation rather than the movement of existing materials. Therefore, the movement aspect is key to understanding erosion accurately.