Weathering, Erosion, Deposition: Identify
Directions:
Use the pictures below to identify the numbered land features created by water/river erosion and deposition.
Once labeled, write a brief description of each of them, to demonstrate your understanding of each of them.
#1
#2
#3
#4
Page 1
Weathering, Erosion, Deposition: Read & Summarize
Read the article about water erosion and deposition, and answer the summary questions that follow.
When precipitation (rain or snowfall) falls onto the
earth’s large surface, it just doesn't sit there; instead,
it begins to move. Some of the water seeps into the
ground but most of it flows downhill and is called
runoff. Runoff is extremely important because not
only does it keep rivers and lakes full of water, but
it also changes the landscape by the process of
erosion. Flowing water has tremendous power—it
can move boulders, carve out canyons, and much
more! The Grand Canyon is an example of how
erosion can shape land.
Grand Canyon
Runoff is affected by a variety of factors. Some of
which are the amount of precipitation in an area, the
climate, the shape of the land, land use, and soil
type.
The amount of precipitation in a given climate is the
most influential factor controlling the amount of
runoff in an area. Runoff is increased in urban
areas where materials such as pavement cover the
surface; this is because they absorb a very small
amount of water. Sometimes, this can lead to
flooding because the runoff is moving too quickly
to be absorbed by the surface. In contrast, an area
that has more greenery, like shrubs, trees, and other
plants, will absorb much more water and reduce the
amount of runoff in a particular area. In both
scenarios, water may run downhill and eventually
lead to the formation of structures called rills and
gullies, which can create streams and rivers. These
rivers will eventually lead into a lake or seawater
and cause a variety of features to form.
The shape of the land is also a contributing factor to
the amount of runoff in an area. Water flow on a
flat surface has more time to be absorbed by the
surface. An area with a steeper slope causes water
to flow too quickly and cannot be properly absorbed
by its surface.
Water flowing downhill can create small grooves in
the soil called rills. As the volume of water
continues to increase, larger grooves called gullies
are formed. As the amount of water continues to
grow, gullies may eventually lead into streams and
those streams will lead to a much larger water
feature, called a river. Rivers eventually carry
water into the ocean. Some other land features
created by the erosion of water are called waterfalls,
meanders, and oxbow lakes.
Meanders are sections of a river that bend, or curve,
in different directions. As the water travels, it
erodes portions of the existing land and sediment
and later deposits it toward the inside of the bend.
Page 1
Meander
Weathering, Erosion, Deposition: Read & Summarize
These meandering rivers can lead into the ocean and
at this merge, deposition may occur, creating a
feature called a delta. When river water reaches a
lake or ocean, it begins to slow down and lose
power. As a result, sediment is dropped off at the
mouth, or end, of the river. The amount of
sediment that is deposited varies by location but in
some cases, there may be such a large amount that it
cannot be eroded away! The Nile delta in Egypt is
an example of this. Here, the Nile river lays down a
large amount of sediment as it drains into the
Mediterranean Sea. Approximately 50% of the
Egyptian population live alongside the delta, and
was once a main source of farmland.
Delta
Sum mary Q uestions:
1.
Describe how a delta forms.
2. How does runoff in a city compare to runoff in a farming area? Give a description of the
differences in land in order to fully answer the question.
3. Why is flowing water so powerful?
4. Beginning with runoff, list the structures that are involved in the formation of a river.
5. Describe how you think water helped change the look of the Grand Canyon over time.
Page 2
Weathering, Erosion, Deposition: Investigate
Directions:
Go to the website below:
http://thesciencepenguin.com/2016/02/erosion.html
Scroll down to “1. Crash Course Kids Video.” Click on the video and press play to watch it. After watching the
video, answer the investigation questions that follow.
Investigation Questions:
1. Why do scientists say that the earth is always changing?
2. What is weath ering?
3. How does chemical weathering compare to mechanical weathering?
4. What is the relationship between weathering and erosion?
5. What is the difference between the coastline of Massach usetts in 1984
compared to 2014?
Page 1
Weathering, Erosion, Deposition: Compare
Directions:
Complete the Venn diagram that compares weathering, erosion, and deposition.
We
E
io
s
o
r
n
Deposition
Page 1
ath
erin
g
Weathering, Erosion, Deposition: Organize
Directions:
Read the numbered word cards and determine if they describe weathering, erosion, or deposition. Then, place
the cards under the correct category on the back of this paper AND record the number of the card that was
placed into each category on your answer sheet.
Weathering
Erosion
Page 1
Deposition
Card Sort Answers:
Erosion: 2, 5, 8, 10, 11
Deposition: 3, 4, 7, 12, 15
Weathering: 1, 6, 9, 13, 14
changing its color and texture
Chemicals dissolve rock particles,
#13
moves across the water
picking up and trapping sediment as it
Icebergs scrape the ocean floor,
#10
below, creating sand dunes
stop and drop sand on the surface
Winds carrying sediment suddenly
#12
Sediment carried in a river is trapped
at the base of a dam
#15
The lay down of sediment creates a
new land feature that wasn’t present
hundreds of years before
A mudslide carries sediment from the
top of a hill to its base
#14
Sediment scrapes the edge of a
mountainside, creating holes and
crevices
edges
with large boulders, roughening their
Pebbles carried in a stream collide
#9
changes their composition
Acid rain reacts with rock minerals
#11
the flat farmland below
Runoff carries soil from the hillside to
#8
location to another
reach the shoreline
#7
Violent winds carry sediment from one
Ocean waves release sediment as they
sand, narrowing its path
downstream
#6
The edge of a stream builds up with
A heavy current carrying sediments
#5
#3
#2
#4
pieces
slowly separates a rock into smaller
Water seeps into cracks, freezes, and
#1
Weathering, Erosion, Deposition: Practice
Directions:
The diagrams below represent land features formed by river erosion and river deposition. On your answer
sheet, label them and include a description of HOW they slowly formed over time and include the process:
erosion or deposition.
#1
#2
#4
#3
#5
#6
Page 1
Name
________________________________
Period _____
Weathering, erosion, deposition
Answer Sheet
Read & Summarize
1. ______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________________
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4. ______________________________________________________________________________
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5. ______________________________________________________________________________
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Identify
1. ______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________________
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4. ______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Compare:
Er
io
os
n
We
Deposition
ath
eri
ng
Investigate
1. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________________________
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Practice
1. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
6. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Organize
Weathering
Erosion
Deposition
Period
Key
_____
Weathering, erosion, deposition
Answer Sheet
Read & Summarize
1. A delta forms when a meandering river flows into a ocean, dropping sediment off along the way
2. A city has less vegetation so the water cannot be absorbed, causing more runoff. On farmland,
there are more plants to absorb the water, causing less runoff
3. Water is in constant motion with a large amount of energy. It’s fast speeds make it very strong
and able to carry large objects
4. Runoff becomes, rills, then gullies, streams, and rivers
5. The moving water weathered rock/land (made it smaller) and then carried the pieces of sediment
to another location. When the sediment settled it created rock/land that was larger than before.
Identify
1. Waterfall: water flowing down a cliff/mountain at a very high speed
2. Meander: a bend or curve in the course of a river
3. Oxbow lake: a meander that has been cut off from a river; caused by the deposition of sediment
along the side of the original meander
4. Delta: The deposition of sediment where a river meets an ocean.
_____
Compare: answers will vary
Er
io
os
n
W
by
nt
e
im y
sed ravit
f
o
g
on , ice,
i
s
r
ro
e e wate
h
,
T nd
wi
Rock must first
be weathered,
then it can be
eroded
Sediment is
eroded/carried
until it
eventually
settles/deposits
They all work
together to
change the shape
of land
ea
Th
the
e
p
dow hy
ring
n o sical
f ro or
che
ck
mi
cal
bre
ak
The broken rock
(caused by
weathering) is
carried and
eventually settles
The settling, or laying down, of
sediment
Deposition
Investigate
1. Earth’s moving waters are continually moving sediment, shifting land, and carrying continents
2. Weathering is the process of breaking down or changing rock
3. Mechanical weathering is breaking down rock into smaller particles (sediment) and chemical
weathering is the breakdown of rock through chemical reactions/changes
4. Weathering is the break down of rock into sediment and erosion is the process of
carrying/moving the sediment
5. The coastline in 1984 was a long stretch of beach and in 2014 it is a cluster of small islands
Practice
1. Alluvial fan: cause by the deposition of sediment at the base of a stream
2. Flood plain: an area of flat land near a stream or river that experiences occasional flooding;
caused by eroding water
3. River valley: caused by river erosion; the water slowly wears away the rock and carries the
sediment along with it
4. Meander: A winding curve in a river cause by erosion and deposition
5. Delta is formed from deposition. When the river reaches a lake or ocean it looses its power and
can no longer carry the sediment. The sediment then settles on the river/ocean floor
6. Oxbow lake: formed by deposition. The river becomes so large and curved that the two bends
come together and create a straight path while the curve is cut off