Which description best characterizes ephemeral erosion in a field?

Which description best characterizes ephemeral erosion in a field?

• A. A channel that forms in a field each year
• B. A river that flows year-round
• C. A canyon formed by glaciers
• D. A permanent drainage ditch

Answer: (A)

Ephemeral erosion happens briefly, mainly during and just after rainfall, leaving features that soon fade away. In a field, rainfall-driven runoff can carve small channels that appear during storms and then vanish as the soil dries or vegetation stabilizes the surface. The description of a channel forming in a field every year fits this pattern—the channel is created by seasonal rain, but it isn’t a permanent feature. The other scenarios describe long-lasting or non-field processes: a year-round river is perennial, a glacier-carved canyon is formed by ice over long timescales, and a permanent drainage ditch is fixed and persistent.

Ephemeral erosion happens briefly, mainly during and just after rainfall, leaving features that soon fade away. In a field, rainfall-driven runoff can carve small channels that appear during storms and then vanish as the soil dries or vegetation stabilizes the surface. The description of a channel forming in a field every year fits this pattern—the channel is created by seasonal rain, but it isn’t a permanent feature. The other scenarios describe long-lasting or non-field processes: a year-round river is perennial, a glacier-carved canyon is formed by ice over long timescales, and a permanent drainage ditch is fixed and persistent.