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Our Earth is ever changing. Some of these changes, like the creation of the Grand Canyon, take millions of years to happen, and some of them are catastrophic changes that occur in seconds. These changes to our Earth can be categorized as either constructive forces or destructive forces.

Slow Constructive Forces

Constructive Earth processes are changes that add to the surface of the Earth, and some of them take millions of years to occur. The Hawaiian Islands are a great example of a slow constructive change. These islands have formed over millions of years due to a hot spot volcano. This type of volcano forms over an area in the Earth's crust where the crust is very thin and lava consistently makes its way to the surface.

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Another example of a slow constructive force is the deposition of sediment at the mouth of a river. Water carries sediment down river and as the river becomes more shallow, the sediment is deposited, forming landforms such as deltas.

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Mountains are also an example of a slow constructive force due to two tectonic plates being pushed into each other.​

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​Destructive forces break down land. The two main forces that break down land slowly are weathering and erosion. Weathering is the breaking down of rocks due to forces such as wind and water. The pieces of rock are then moved elsewhere through the process of erosion. Weathering and erosion take millions of years to have an effect on the Earth