Which process is primarily responsible for shaping the landscape through material removal?

Erosion is the process that plays a crucial role in shaping the landscape by removing material from one location and transporting it to another. This process occurs due to various forces, including water, wind, ice, and gravity, which can wear away rocks and soil over time. As erosion strips away surface material, it can create distinctive landforms such as valleys, cliffs, and riverbanks.

In understanding the landscape dynamics, deposition is the process where eroded material is dropped or settled in a new location, leading to the formation of features like deltas and sand dunes. Weathering, on the other hand, refers to the breakdown of rocks and minerals at the Earth’s surface due to various chemical, physical, or biological processes, but it does not involve the movement of material as erosion does. Transportation involves the movement of sediment and particles already dislodged by erosion but is not the process of removing them from the landscape itself.

Thus, erosion's role as the primary force in material removal distinctly positions it as the key process responsible for shaping the landscape.