ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Denudation

Okay kiddo, denudation is when the earth's surface gets worn down and changed by things like wind, water, or ice. Imagine if you had a really big rock outside your house, and every day the wind blew really hard against it. Eventually, the wind would wear away some parts of the rock and make it smaller and smoother.

The same thing happens with the earth's surface. When water from rain or rivers runs over the land, it can wear away the soil and rocks over time. This is called erosion. And when glaciers (which are like really big ice cubes) move across the land, they can scrape and grind away at the earth's surface too.

Another example is when rocks get really hot in the daytime and then get really cold at night. This can make them expand and contract, which can cause little pieces to break off. Over time, this can create big cracks and holes in the rocks.

All these processes together are called denudation. It's kind of like the earth getting a little bit of a makeover, but it takes a lot of time and can create some pretty amazing landscapes like mountains or canyons.