What is avulsion in the context of land ownership?

Avulsion refers to the sudden loss of land due to natural events, such as flooding or erosion, where a portion of land is abruptly removed or separated from the original property. This concept is significant in land ownership because it affects property lines and rights. When avulsion occurs, the property owner typically retains ownership of the land that has been displaced, but they may lose access to their original land due to the change in geography caused by the event. Understanding avulsion is important in land surveying and property law, as it directly impacts how land ownership is defined and maintained following drastic natural occurrences.

The other options represent different concepts. Gradual accumulation over time relates more to the process of accretion, while land division among family members pertains to inheritance or partitioning, and artificial alteration of land boundaries speaks to modifications made through human actions rather than natural events. Each of these concepts plays a role in land ownership and surveying but does not define avulsion.