W Weathering The breaking down of rock to

W = Weathering - The breaking down of rock to sediment by physical and chemical means. E = Erosion - Transporting or moving sediment by water, wind, or ice. Imagine that the river started up here! Erosion caused by water; millions of years ago before the Grand Canyon was formed, the Colorado River was a quiet river streaming through the land. Believe it or not, this rock formation resulted from wind weathering and erosion. Smaller, lighter chunks of rock broke off and blew away until this formation was all that remained. glacier Water freezing in the cracks of this rock caused it to break apart. glacial erosion

Grand Canyon Pictures:

D = Deposition - Dropping or depositing new location. Beaches and Deltas show clear evidence deposition on our planet. of sediment in a

Great Sand Dunes National Park:

: tant or Imp Water, Ice, and Wind cause W. E. D. These forces are responsible forming many of the landforms on Earth. They may be Destructive or Constructive Force - a force that builds up sediment to create a new landform. example - Deposition Destructive Force - a force that tears down an existing landform and turns it into sediment. examples - weathering and erosion http: //studyjams. scholastic. com/studyjams/science/rocks- mineralslandforms/weathering-and-erosion. htm

So what exactly is sediment? It is just broken pieces of rock. So what makes it different from soil? Soil contains pieces of rock sediment), shell, decaying lants, decaying animals, and nimal waste. ** So in other words soil is made up of both inorganic (nonliving) and rganic (living) materials. ** W. E. D. all help create new soil by breaking down rock to sediment.

The Problem: y sister and her family just moved to a new house that has a small hill in the backyard, but there seems to be a major problem. Every time it rains, the soil erodes and creates a messy mud puddle in the backyard. How can she prevent soil erosion from happening? fence erosion mud puddle

This is what a native grassland would have looked like in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Colorado when pioneers first arrived. This is what the land looked like in the Dust Bowl of the 1930 s.

How could this happen? Well, it's all caused by soil erosion. lick on the picture above, but while you watch this video, think about what farmers might have done to cause dust clouds. Also think about what erosion may have had to do with the dust bowl.

Soil Layers: Youngest layer Oldest layer

Types of Soil http: //school. discoveryeducation. com/schooladventures/soil/name_soil. html The organic part of soil is called humus. It contains the remains of dead plants and animal waste. Sand is the largest type of soil particle. It does not hold water well because the larger particles do not pack together. It feels gritty to touch. Silt is made of smaller particles than sand, and holds water better than sand. It feels smoother than sand but still grainy Clay is the smallest soil particle. It holds water well because the tiny particles pack together. If feels clumpy and sticky. Loam is a mixture of clay, silt, and sand particles in equal parts. It is the best for growing crops because it allows for water and air flow, but holds on to some water and humus also.