C32 Cliff Model

C32 Cliff Model Background Erosion and deposition can be caused by rivers, streams & rain. But erosion can take place anywhere water, ice, or wind carries rock or soil pieces from place to place. Erosion and deposition can also shape the land at shores of oceans, seas and lakes. Look at ocean waves near a cliff and examine their effect on the rate of erosion.

C32 Cliff Model Vocabulary Cliff: high, steep slope on side of a canyon or mountain Retaining Rocks: rock wall built to control erosion Sea Wall: wall to prevent sea waves from wearing away shore

C32 Cliff Model Analysis: Hr___ Name________________Date__ Copy and Explain using 1 paragraph each. What do waves do to cliffs? Explain in terms of erosion and deposition. What effect do retaining rocks have? Granite on a mountaintop will erode dif-ferently than granite on a sea cliff. Explain What is sea wall made of & what is it for?

C32 Cliff Model Procedure A1 Put the plastic wall vertically in the box. Use the 30 mL cup to fill the smaller part of the box with 150 mL of moist sand. Level the top of the material. Put the sandy end of the box on the catch basin of the river model to create a slope. Hold the plastic wall & gently pour water into the box until it just touches the cliff.

C32 Cliff Model Procedure A2 5. Slowly remove the retaining wall from box. 6. Put the slotted wavemaker part over the water. Insert the vertical wavemaker piece. 7. At the rate of 1 wave per 3 seconds, move the wavemaker back and forth 5 times and record your observations. 8. Make 5 more waves and record all notes. Make 2 more sets of 5 waves. Record notes.

C32 Cliff Model Procedure A3 9. Observe the bottom of the container and record all additional observations. 10. Place the retaining wall back in the plastic box and use it to push the sand back into the end of the box. Carefully drain out any remaining water in the box.

C32 Cliff Model Procedure B1 11. The bag of rocks models structures that are used to protect cliffs from wave action. Design an investigation to determine the effect of retaining rocks on the erosion of the cliff model. Think about the following: What is the purpose? What will you test? How will you use results to make conclusions?