Student Resource Sheet ESS - 24
WEARING DOWN AND BUILDING UP
WEATHERING, EROSION, AND DEPOSITION
One day you decide to make a stop at the Grand Canyon, where you wonder about the forces that sculpted
this amazing landscape. You are surprised to discover that the Colorado River runs through the Grand
Canyon. Is it possible that the running water of the river helped to slowly carve out the canyon or was the
canyon formed as quickly and dramatically as volcanoes? Or did it form more slowly, over thousands of
years? A guide tells you that the processes of weathering and erosion are responsible for forming the Grand
Canyon. But how has this happened? In this investigation, you will describe how the processes of weathering,
erosion, and deposition change earth’s surface.
Objective
When you have completed this investigation, you should be able to identify the agents of weathering, erosion,
and deposition in order to explain how these forces change the earth’s surface.
Activity 1:
1.
Study the picture in Figure 1.
Figure 1
Original position
of land and tree
Ending position of
land and tree
Adapted from:
http://www.geo.arizona.edu/geo2xx/geo218/UNIT6/lecture18.html
2.
Predict what may have caused the changes in the land shown in Figure 1.
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3.
Use the resources provided by your teacher to construct a definition for weathering.
The process that breaks down rocks and other substances at
Earth’s surface.
4.
What are the 2 categories of weathering? How do they differ?
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rocks are physically broken
rocks broken by chemical changes
Ex. Ice wedging, freezing, thawing,
Ex. Water, oxygen, carbon dioxide,
pressure, abrasion, plant growth,
animal action
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acid rain, living organisms
Student Resource Sheet ESS - 24
Activity 2:
5.
Read the selection titled Earth’s Changing Surface.
6.
Complete the reading road map as you read.
LOCATION
SPEED
MISSION
START
What is erosion? Erosion is the process whereby
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natural forces move weathered rock and soil from
one place to another.
List the factors that may cause erosion:
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Gravity, running water, glaciers, waves, and wind
can cause erosion.
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Describe the process of deposition.
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How do weathering, erosion, and deposition work
together in a cycle to change Earth’s surface?
Deposition occurs when “agents of erosion” lay
down sediment (material moved by erosion). This
changes the shape of the land.
Earth’s surface is broken down (weathering).
Then the sediment is carried away (erosion).
Then it is dropped somewhere else (deposition).
Then it can get worn down again, and the cycle
continues
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Student Resource Sheet ESS - 24
LOCATION
SPEED
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MISSION
Identify the force that moves rock and materials
downhill.
GRAVITY
What are the different types of mass movement?
Some different types of mass movement are
landslides, mudslides, slump, and creep.
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Describe what happens during a landslide.
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What causes mudflows?
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How are slumps different from creeps?
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During a landslide rock and soil slide quickly
down a steep slope. A landslide may contain
huge masses of rock and soil or just a small
amount.
A mudflow is the rapid downhill movement of a
mixture of water, rock, and soil. They occur after
heavy rains in a normally dry area. Under certain
conditions clay in the soil suddenly turns to a
liquid and starts to flow.
A slump is when single mass of rock and soil
slides suddenly down a slope. They occur when
water soaks the base of a mass of soil that is rich
in clay.
A creep is a very slow downhill movement of
rock and soil. It is barely noticeable
STOP!
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Student Resource Sheet ESS - 24
Analysis
1. Review the information in the introduction about the Grand Canyon. Describe how the moving water of
the Colorado River affected the formation of the Grand Canyon. In your response be sure to indicate
whether the changes to the land occurred rapidly or slowly. Use information from the investigation to
support your response.
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2.
Explain the difference between, weathering, erosion, and deposition. Provide examples to support your
answers.
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3.
As you review your notes on other planets, you realize that the gas giants do not show evidence of
weathering and erosion. Explain why you would not expect weathering and erosion to occur on
these planets.
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