Here's a breakdown of the key elements:

1. Weathering: This is the initial step where rocks and other materials are broken down into smaller pieces by agents like wind, water, ice, and chemical reactions. This creates loose material that can be eroded.

2. Transportation: This involves the movement of the weathered material by natural forces:

* Water: Rivers, rain, and waves carry sediments downstream, carving channels and transporting material to new locations.

* Wind: Wind can pick up and transport sand, dust, and even larger particles, creating sand dunes and sculpting landscapes.

* Ice: Glaciers, with their immense weight and movement, scrape and scour the Earth's surface, carrying large amounts of rock and soil.

* Gravity: Gravity plays a role in landslides, rock falls, and creep, moving material downhill.

3. Deposition: This is the final stage where the transported material settles in a new location. This process can create landforms like deltas, sandbars, and alluvial fans.

In summary, erosion is a complex process that involves:

* Break down of material (weathering)

* Movement of the material (transportation)

* Accumulation of the material in a new location (deposition)

Different erosion types (like water erosion, wind erosion, glacial erosion) have distinct characteristics, but they all share these core elements.