PHY 205L M2 Weathering and Erosion Lab Report
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Metropolitan Community College, Omaha *
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Course
205
Subject
Geography
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
5
Uploaded by MrDickButtkiss
Name: _____ Mr. Dick Buttkiss_________
Date: _____November 5, 2023________
PHY 205L Module Two Lab Activity: Weathering and Erosion
Overview:
As you’ve learned in the readings,
weathering
is the process where rock is broken down into
smaller pieces or dissolved.
Erosion
happens when sediment or rock is transported to another place by
water, wind or gravity.
There are two types of weathering:
chemical
and
mechanical
.
In this lab, you
will explore the different types of weathering and learn how to recognize causes of erosion.
Safety:
Read through all of the instructions for this laboratory activity before beginning. Follow the instructions
closely and observe established laboratory safety practices.
Time Requirements:
Preparation: 15 minutes
Activity 1: 15 minutes
Activity 2: 15 minutes
Activity 3: 15 minutes
Materials needed from the Carolina Biological equipment and lab kits:
Graduated cylinder (from Carolina Biological equipment kit)
Ruler (from Carolina Biological equipment kit)
Steel sphere (from Carolina Biological Density lab kit)
Clay (from Carolina Biological Groundwater and Surface Water Interactions lab kit)
Materials needed but not supplied in the lab kit:
Graham crackers or other crackers with holes in the top
Straw
Plate
Procedure:
Activity 1
:
1)
Place the cracker oriented with the hole-side up. Prop it up at an angle using the clay.
2)
Fill the graduated cylinder with 5 mL of water and gently pour it over the elevated end of the
cracker.
3)
Wait 5 minutes.
4)
Fill the graduated cylinder with another 5 mL of water and gently pour it using the same method
you used in Step 2.
5)
Observe the cracker, looking for changes to the surface of the cracker.
6)
Observe the water in the bottom of the plate, looking for particles present.
7)
Take a picture of your results.
8)
Dispose of the water and the cracker. Carefully clean the clay and the graduated cylinder and
return them back to your lab and equipment kits. Clean the plate to use in Activity 2.
Activity 2
:
1)
Place a new cracker on the plate.
9)
Drop the steel sphere from varying heights 5 times to simulate rocks or other material falling
from above.
10) Observe the cracker, making note of where the cracker breaks and the relative sizes of the
particles.
11) Take a picture of your results.
12) Carefully clean the steel sphere and return it back to your lab kit.
13) Save this cracker and any resulting crumbs from Activity 2 for Activity 3.
Activity 3
:
1)
Press down on your cracker from Activity 2 until your cracker is mostly crumbs.
14) Mark the location on your plate where you are planning on using your straw to blow on the
crumbs. This is the starting location or source from where your crumbs are originating from.
15) Use your straw and blow on the crumbs in a constant pressure and direction until it forms a pile.
16) Observe the shape of the pile and take a picture of your results.
17) Using the ruler, measure the following and make notes of your findings:
a.
the size of some of the crumbs on your plate
b.
the distances each of those crumbs traveled from the source (their starting location)
Crumb #
Crumb size (mm)
Distance traveled (mm)
1
1
18
2
2
15
3
2-3
11
4
3-4
9
5
5-6
5
Lab Questions:
1)
Include a photo of your cracker taken at the end of Activity 1.
18) At the end of Activity 1, how do the areas around the holes of the cracker compare to the other
parts of the cracker?
The areas around the holes are darker due to saturation and are elongated with gravity. The holes
and especially the bottom edge of the cracker was sagging from the saturated portions beginning to
flow downward. The bottom of the cracker had been saturated and was breaking down where the
water settled.
19) What type of weathering is represented in Activity 1?
Chemical weathering however, if there was a constant flow of water, it could perhaps be considered
mechanical weathering as well, simulating stream flow.
20) What is a real-world example of this type of weathering?
The flow of a stream or river downcutting the bottom and eroding banks, breaking down rock into
finer particles and sediment.
21) Include a photo of your cracker taken at the end of Activity 2.
22) At the end of Activity 2, how do the areas around the holes compare to the other parts of the
cracker?
Some areas with holes appear to remain somewhat intact while the larger surface areas in between
were shattered or split into multiple sections. Although honestly, the cracker basically disintegrated
making it difficult to decipher much in general.
23) What type of weathering is represented in Activity 2?
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Mechanical Weathering.
24) What is a real-world example of this type of weathering?
Earthquakes or perhaps rock slides.
25) Include a photo of your cracker taken at the end of Activity 3.
26) In Activity 3, what natural weather process does blowing through the straw represent?
Wind erosion.
27) At the end of Activity 3, what shape do the crumbs seem to form?
After trying it multiple times, the crumbs generally formed a crescent shape.
28) Is the pile steeper on the side where you were blowing or steeper on the far side?
The pile is steeper on the side I was blowing from.
29) What can this tell you about the direction of wind when a sand dune is formed?
That the steepest side of a sand dune is generally the direction from which the wind was blowing. In
other words, the windward side will be steeper than the leeward side which will be elongated from
the initial ledge that was formed and weaker air flow over the top of the ridge. At least that’s what
occurred in my case.
30) Looking at your data on crumb size, which sized crumbs tended to travel the greatest distance?
The smaller sized crumbs tend to travel the greatest distance when compared to the larger ones.
31) What can the traveled distance from the source tell you about the relative force of the wind
when you relate it the size of sediment particles?
That based on the force of wind, small particles can travel great distances versus larger particles.
However, depending on the force of the wind, such as major wind gusts, storm fronts or even
tornadoes, small to large particles can be thrown vast distances, with smaller particles being carried
considerably further from the source.