Weathering and Erosion

Rocks and Minerals:

The Changing Earth

By Melissa Dunagan Lee Elementary/4th Grade

The water is creating erosion. The water is breaking up the soil and carrying it away. How is erosion like weathering? How is it different?

Water erosion has taken this soil away and created trenches. What effect will this have on the farmer’s next crop?

Arches National Park was created when softer rocks weathered due to wind and rain and tough rocks on top where left behind forming huge arches and pillars. The sediment or rock bits were carried away leaving the empty space.

Over great time, weathering from wind caused these formations. Where did the sediment go?

Arches National Park Can you see the rock layers? Can you make an hypothesis about which type of rock formed these layers?

This is broken up rock in a riverbed. Is this weathering or erosion? What is the source of change for the rocks?

This is Lichen growing on a bolder. What type of organism is lichen? Is there still weathering going on here? Is the boulder slowly being broken into bits?

This tree is growing out of this rock. Is there weathering? How? Predict what will happen in several years.

Grand Canyon: Rock layers formed and then were worn away with water.

Weathering from wind and rain made Bryce Canyon.

Deeply pitted surface of limestone in a desert environment. Rainfall erodes the limestone into pits and channels by dissolving it. How is this like a cave formation? How is it different?

Weathering cause by tides and waves on the coast line. How do the physical properties of the rocks tell a story about their past?

Weathering from waves and tides made this arch. Can you make a hypothesis about what this coastline looked like millions of years ago? Can you predict what this coastline will look like in the future? Why?

Blue Glacier with Mount Olympus in the back. See the tourists in the front left? Why are most glaciers found on mountains? Why are glaciers often surrounded by gently rolling hills? What is happening to the glacier even though we can’t necessarily see it? Are there any predictions you can make about this glacier in the future using what you know about air pollution?

This glacier is carving out a U shaped valley between these mountains. As the ice melts, what is being created? If the glacier leaves behind “piles” of soil or rocks, what is this called?

Which of the 3 types of rock can be melted to form magma or lava? How are magma and lava alike? How are they the same?

It looks like this hiker is standing on a mountain, but it’s really a dormant volcano. What rock is this?

What kind of rock is this? What was it before? How did it form?

Can you guess how this black beach on Santorini in Greece formed? I’ll give you a clue…look at the color of the sediment? Can you guess what is located right next door to this island?

What is this melted rock called below the ground? Above the ground?

See the different rock layers that were left behind? Why is there a swirl pattern in the rocks? What scientific law does this picture illustrate?

Bryce Canyon. Was this canyon created by constructive or destructive forces?

Shifting rock layers formed this hill.

Rock layers colliding push upward and make mountains that slowly grow each year! Is this a constructive or destructive force?