Texas Surveyors Practice Exam

What term refers to the sudden separation of land during a storm?

1. Reliction

2. Erosion

3. Avulsion

4. Accretion

The correct answer is: Avulsion

Avulsion is the correct term for the sudden separation of land during a storm. This phenomenon occurs when a natural event, such as flooding or a violent storm, suddenly alters the course of a river or a body of water, leading to a rapid change in land boundaries. It is significant in property law because it can affect the ownership and rights to land, as landowners may lose or gain property due to these sudden changes without any gradual erosion or accretion taking place. In the context of the other options, reliction refers to the gradual receding of water, exposing land that was previously underwater. Erosion involves the gradual wearing away of land by wind, water, or ice, which is a slow process, unlike the sudden event associated with avulsion. Accretion, on the other hand, refers to the gradual build-up of land, typically by sediment deposits over time, which also does not align with the sudden separation of land. Thus, avulsion distinctly describes the rapid and sudden transformation of land during extreme weather events, making it the appropriate term in this scenario.