1. Weathering and Erosion Lab

2. Station 1
Students placed vinegar (an acid) on powdered calcium carbonate and watched bubbles form as a sign of a chemical reaction. This station is designed to demonstrate chemical weathering of limestone due to acid rain, such as in the Hill Country region.

3. Station 2
Before After
Wave action on beaches

4. Station 3
Students used straws to blow sediments. They discovered that sand is much easier to move than pebbles.

5. Station 4 Erosion of a river valley Before After
Erosion of sediment forming river valley
Erosion of a river valley
Before After
Deposition in a delta

6. Station 5
Mechanical weathering through freezing and thawing. Marbles were repeatedly boiled and cooled in ice water.

7. Station 6
Salt is place d in the bottom of the inner cup, which has a hole in the bottom. Then, water is poured over the top, drips through the salt dissolving some, and into the bottom cup as a solution. This represents the dissolving of rock in water that flows underground and is deposited in cave formations.

8. Station 7 Talus slope Before Weathering After Weathering
Students used a toothbrush to simulate wind erosion due to abrasion on the cliffs of the Palo Duro Canyon