1. Soil Erosion Objective:
Students will be able to know and understand the types of soil erosion and the causes of soil erosion.

2. Bill Nye Video

3. What is Erosion
The process of eroding or being eroded by wind, water, or other natural agents

4. Types of Erosion NORMAL EROSION ACCELERATED EROSION
WATER-CAUSED EROSION
WIND-CAUSED EROSION

5. NORMAL EROSION Normal process Takes place at all times
Natural or geological erosion
causes
Water
Fire

6. ACCELERATED EROSION Land clearing European settlers
Developing American society
Two CAUSES:
Moving water
Moving air

7. WATER-CAUSED EROSION Splash erosion Raindrop
Plant leaf diminishes force
Bare earth
Soil is smashed apart
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8. WATER-CAUSED EROSION Runoff erosion
Water begins to move downhill and carries particles
Soil structure is damaged
Surface may be reshaped

9. WIND-CAUSED EROSION Wind itself Accelerates evaporation Lack of trees
Particles easily picked up
Plowed field is more susceptible

10. Results of Erosion

11. Results of Erosion 1. SHEET EROSION
Uniform removal of the surface soil
Gradual reduction of the topsoil thickness
Colored areas appear
Topsoil very thin
Erosion well advanced

12. Results of Erosion 2. RILL EROSION Rapid and more visible
Running water
Small streamlets
Soil has been damaged
Rill becomes a gully

13. Results of Erosion 3. GULLY EROSION Most serious Obvious Quite severe
Tractor and implement issues
Can still save the topsoil

14. Results of Erosion 4. SANDBLOWS Soil removal Surface is dry and loose
Topsoil blows away
Retains less water
Produces less vegetation
Damage may be severe before noticing

15. Assignment Go to the following website:
tual_labs/ES08/ES08.html
You will need to follow the lab that is on the left side of the screen.
You will have the following to turn in:
What is your hypothesis?
What where the setting you choose for your 1st experiment?
Did you have vegetation?
What was your rain fall?
What happened to your soil?
Repeat 4 times. For a total of 5 times.

16. Conclusion Questions
Must be written in complete sentences and thoroughly explained.
What happened when you have high rainfall with no vegetation? What about with vegetation?
What happened when there was low rain fall with no vegetation? With vegetation?
What do you think is the best combination of rainfall and vegetation? Why?

17. Data Chart Bottle Type Water Captured
Time for Water to Stop Collecting
Observations of Collection
Moss and Soil
Gravel and Soil
Soil