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Geology Science Fair Project

Erosion by Wind, Water, and Ice

Easy
Erosion by Wind, Water, and Ice | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
Why do mountains shrink over thousands of years? Natural forces slowly carry rock and soil away. This process is called erosion. Blow across a pile of sand and watch it shift into dunes. Pour water onto bare dirt from two heights and compare the craters. Freeze a block of ice and drag it across clay to see how glaciers scrape the land. Each force moves material in a different way. Wind sorts fine grains from coarse ones. Water hits harder from greater heights. Ice grinds and scratches the surface beneath it.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that erosion can be demonstrated in different ways.

Method & Materials

You will observe how sand dunes form, how windblown deposits are created, how water weight erosion affects the earth, how glaciers cause erosion, and how landslides form.
You will need sand, newspaper, a jar with lid, a box lid, a spoon, water, paper, and pencil.

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Results

Through these experiments, we can observe how the forces of nature shape the land around us. We can see how erosion works by using sand, water, ice, and wind.

Why do this project?

This science project is unique because it allows students to observe how erosion works in different ways.

Also Consider

Experiment variations to consider include observing how erosion affects different types of soil, or how different types of wind affect erosion.

Full project details

Additional information and source material for this project are available below.

Related video

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