Abrasion and Attrition are terms that are widely used in the field of geology. Essentially, they are processes that are related to the occurrence of surface damage. They can be looked at as different kinds of erosion. However, these terms are almost unheard of in layman’s conversations. So, knowing the difference between them might be quite a difficult thing.
Key Takeaways
- Abrasion involves the gradual removal of material from a surface due to friction, while attrition refers to the wearing down of particles by grinding against each other.
- Abrasion occurs between a surface and an external object, while attrition occurs between similar materials.
- Abrasion can result from natural processes or human activities, whereas attrition primarily occurs during grinding and milling processes.
Abrasion vs Attrition
Abrasion refers to the mechanical scraping or grinding of rocks or sediments caused by the impact of other rocks, sediment, or abrasive particles such as sand. Attrition is the process of wearing down of rocks and sediments by collision and friction between particles, forming sedimentary rocks.
Abrasion can be looked at as an occurrence of friction being caused due to scratching, rubbing, scuffing, and marring of two or more surfaces. It can either be a controlled process that is done intentionally or a completely undesirable one caused by exposure to unwanted substances. The process has applications in various industries.
Meanwhile, attrition occurs when surfaces hit each other and cause erosion. It is a relatively faster process as compared to abrasion and does not involve any friction. Due to attrition, a lot of wear down is caused to the surfaces that are involved. The process can most commonly be found in coastal regions.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Abrasion | Attrition |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Abrasion is a process of wearing down because of sediment transportation. | Attrition is a process of reduction of particles during erosion. |
| Rate | It takes a long time for surfaces to undergo this process. | The process takes place in a quick manner. |
| Causes | It is caused by friction between surfaces in motion. | It is caused by the collision of surfaces. |
| Influencing Factors | It is affected by the density, weight, velocity, and texture of the materials that make up the surface. | It is affected by the shape, size, hardness, cracks, and porosity of the surface. |
| Location | Abrasion can occur in a variety of places where rocks and other sediments are present. | Attrition most commonly occurs in areas where water bodies are present. |
What is Abrasion?
Abrasion is a process in which surfaces undergo a certain degree of damage while in motion. This is mainly caused due to friction. The process falls under the category of erosion. It is slow and takes place over a considerably long duration. When surfaces scratch, wear down, scruff, or rub against each other, abrasion takes place.
The intensity with which two surfaces undergo abrasion depends on a variety of factors. Some of them include the density, weight, velocity, and texture of the materials that make up the surface. If the materials are lightweight and loosely placed together, abrasion happens at a faster rate. However, if they are heavy, hard, and tightly packed, abrasion takes place very slowly.
Abrasion may affect just one surface or all the surfaces involved. At times, construction industries carry out the process in an intentional and controlled manner. However, when they occur naturally, they can be classified under four major categories – wind abrasion, coastal abrasion, glaciation, and channel transport.
Wind abrasion occurs when small stones and sand rub against surfaces on being transported by wind. Coastal abrasion occurs due to objects flowing in water. Glaciation occurs when ice rubs against rock surfaces. Lastly, channel transport occurs when objects flow through river channels.
What is Attrition?
Attrition is a process that takes place in areas where water bodies are present. However, it must not be confused with coastal abrasion. Attrition is caused when surfaces hit against each other, causing them to break or wear down. Unlike attrition, the process takes place quickly. There is no friction involved.
A great example would be the process of attrition in riverbeds. The surface at the bottom of a river is made of various hard sediments. However, when other hard objects flow along with the current of water, they tend to hit the bottom surface. When this happens, a certain amount of damage is caused.
The amount of damage caused depends on a variety of factors. For example, if cracks were already present on a particular rock and another rock collided with it, it would be damaged much more intensely. However, the damage would not be much of a soft object hitting the same rock.
Regardless, a lot have measures have been invented by people in order to control this process. One of them is a seawall. Through this, all the solid objects flowing through water get filtered out at an early stage.
Main Differences Between Abrasion and Attrition
- Abrasion is a process of wearing down because of sediment transportation, whereas attrition is a process of reduction of particles during erosion.
- It takes a long time for surfaces to undergo abrasion, whereas attrition takes place in a quick manner.
- Abrasion is mainly caused because of friction that takes place between surfaces in motion, whereas the collision of surfaces causes attrition.
- Abrasion is influenced by the density, weight, velocity, and texture of the materials of the surface, whereas attrition is influenced by the shape, size, hardness, cracks, and porosity of the surface.
- Abrasion can be seen in a variety of places where rocks and other sediments are present, whereas attrition is seen in areas where water bodies are present.
- https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/qjegh/article/7/1/69/327216
- https://bioone.org/journals/American-Museum-Novitates/volume-225/issue-4/0003-0082(2000)301%3C0001:FCOUMU%3E2.0.CO;2/Functional-Characterization-of-Ungulate-Molars-Using-the-Abrasion-Attrition-Wear/10.1206/0003-0082(2000)301%3C0001:FCOUMU%3E2.0.CO;2.short
Last Updated : 11 June, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
The article efficiently compares and contrasts the processes of abrasion and attrition. It mentions the critical difference between the two by focusing on their causes, rates, the factors that influence them, and their locations.
I share the same view. The definitions, key takeaways, and comparison table are very resourceful.
I think it’s important to note how abrasion is utilized in various industries and also to understand where attrition primarily occurs.