Which major geological process both wears away earthen materials and transports them away from their origin?

Erosion is a geological process in which earthen materials are first worn away and then transported by natural forces such as wind or water. Most erosion is caused by liquid water, wind or ice, (usually in the form of a glacier).

A similar process called weathering breaks down or dissolves earthen material, but doesn't involve movement or transport the earthen material

Erosion is the opposite of deposition, the geological process in which earthen materials are deposited, or built up, on a landform.

As shown in the picture, the brown color indicates that bits of rock and soil are suspended in the fluid and being transported from one place to another. This transported material is called sediment.

When the term physical erosion is used, it describes the process of rocks changing their physical properties without changing their basic chemical composition, often causing rocks to get smaller and smoother.

Ice and liquid water contribute to physical erosion as their movement forces rock to crush together or crack apart. Liquid water is the major agent of erosion on Earth. Rain, rivers, floods, lakes, and the ocean carry away bits of soil and sand and slowly wash away the sediment.

Rainfall produces a splash erosion, scattering tiny soil particles while sheet erosion describes erosion caused by runoff. Rill erosion describes runoff that develops into discrete streams and gully erosion occurs when soil particles are transported through large channels.