What environmental process can lead to the accumulation of scree?

The accumulation of scree is primarily associated with mass wasting, which involves the movement of rock and soil down a slope due to gravity. This process can result in the dislodgment and fragmentation of material from a cliff or steep slope, leading to the formation of a pile of loose rocks and debris known as scree at the base. Mass wasting can occur rapidly, such as during landslides, or more slowly through processes like soil creep, where materials gradually move downward over time.

In contrast, weathering refers to the gradual breakdown of rocks through physical, chemical, or biological processes but does not directly cause the movement and accumulation of material. Erosion involves the removal and transport of soil and rock by wind, water, or ice, while deposition refers to the laying down of material that was previously transported. Neither erosion nor deposition specifically accounts for the build-up of scree, which is a direct result of the gravitational forces acting on dislodged materials during mass wasting.