Climatic Factors Warm temperatures and abundant moisture optimize the rate of weathering. Once rock materials are weathered, they can be transported across the surface of the earth. The two major transport mechanisms are mass wasting and erosion. Mass Wasting is the transfer of rock material downslope by gravity. It is another process to restore equilibrium .
Sheets can collapse to small streams that cut tiny channels called rills .
Rills can enlarge to form gullies . Groundwater carries away particles. Wind erosion becomes significant in periods of prolonged drought. The slower-moving water can not hold as much suspended material, so some deposits out. The sediment accumulates, resulting in greater pressure on the lower layers of sediment.