What term describes the process in which material is laid down, such as rocks being distributed to other places?

The term that describes the process in which material is laid down, such as rocks being distributed to other places, is deposition. Deposition occurs when sediments, soil, and rocks are added to a landform or land mass. This process can take place in various environments, including river deltas, beaches, and lake beds, often as a result of erosion or other geological processes that transport materials.

During deposition, the moving forces, such as water, wind, or ice, lose their energy and drop the sediments they are carrying in a new location, forming new geological features over time. Understanding deposition is crucial in geology and environmental science, as it plays a vital role in the formation of landscapes and ecosystems.

The other terms refer to different geological processes: subduction involves one tectonic plate being forced under another, erosion describes the removal and transportation of surface materials, and weathering refers to the breaking down of rocks at the Earth's surface through various physical and chemical processes.