1. Earth’s Systems
Saul Campanella

2. Problem
Investigate the properties of water and its effects on Earth’s materials and surface processes.

3. Investigation
PART 1: Determine the physical and chemical interactions between water (hydrologic cycle) and solid materials (rock cycle). Physical interactions include erosion and deposition by rivers, erosion of soil due to soil moisture content, or frost wedging by the expansion of water as it freezes. Chemical interactions include chemical weathering and recrystallization (solubility of different materials) or melt generation (how water lowers the melting temperature of most solids).
PART 2: The abundance of liquid water on Earth’s surface and its unique combination of physical and chemical properties are central to the planet’s dynamics. These properties include water’s exceptional capacity to absorb, store, and release large amounts of energy, transmit sunlight, expand upon freezing, dissolve and transport materials, and lower the viscosities and melting points of rocks.

4. Video(s): Physical Interactions of Water and Solids
Bill Nye – Erosion:
Running Water:

5. Erosion & Deposition
Erosion is the gradual destruction or diminution of something; something can be eroded by wind, water, or other natural agents.
Deposition is the process in which the sediments, or matter are added to a landform.

6. Flowing Water
Flowing water slowly deteriorates rocks, which can take up to years for a massive amount of rock to be dissolved.
The deterioration of the rocks depends on the speed of the flowing water:
Fast/High Speed(s) = Quicker deterioration
Slow/Low Speed(s) = Slower deterioration
Higher speeds will absorb more and bigger particles, while lower speeds will absorb smaller particles, and take up for time to deteriorate the rock.

7. Flat Land or Still Water
The deposition of the particles occurs when:
The water stream, or flow reaches a body of land, or flat land. (For example: a shore)
When the stream reaches or adjoins to a still water of land. (For example: an ocean without waves)
Bigger particles are deposited first. Smaller particles are deposited after. It depends on their mass.
Rivers cause deposition when they slow down.

8. Soil Moisture Content
Soil is eroded by wind or water, which causes degradation of the soil and brings negative effects to the land.
Soil erosion creates ditches and gullies.
Human interference has increased soil erosion rates drastically, which bring negative consequences to the land of farmers, for example.

9. Frost Wedging
Frost wedging occurs when liquid water pours between the gaps of joints (small cracks in rocks). When temperatures drop, the liquid water that was poured into the gaps (by rain or rainwater) become frozen.
This is creates a cycle, since the frozen water creates an expansion and the cracks are pushed apart.

10. Weathering
Weathering is the process of wearing away or changing the appearance or texture of something by long exposure to the air.
Video (3:25 – 4:00):
Chemical weathering occurs with minerals and gases that our found in our environment. These minerals and gases can combine with water, which causes chemical reactions, such as: acid rain.

11. Recrystallization
Recrystallization is a technique used to purify materials, or chemicals.
The impurities are dissolved and one of the chemicals is manipulated, leaving the other (the impurity) behind.

12. Water’s Capacity of: Absorbing, Storing & Releasing Energy
When there is an increase in water temperature, water absorbs the heat energy by breaking hydrogen bonds so that water molecules move freely.
When there is a decrease in water temperature, the hydrogen bonds reunite, or are formed again, and release the energy that was stored.

13. Water’s Capacity of: Transmitting Sunlight
Ocean water specifically is responsible for the transmission of the sunlight, or sun rays. The process occurs when the sun’s lights penetrate the water, and it begins the process of refraction, which means that the light is scattered.
The water molecules are the ones in charge of absorbing and scattering the sun rays.
This is essential for ocean life, specifically for plants, since 70% of photosynthesis occurs in the ocean.

15. Water’s Capacity of: Expanding Upon Freezing
When water (liquid) is reaching it’s freezing point, it contracts (gets drawn together) at 4˚C.
The water begins to expand approximately 9% when it freezes, which is the point when it reaches its freezing point and becomes a solid.

16. Water Capacity of: Changing the viscosity of rocks
Water has the capacity of changing the viscosity, or smoothness of the rocks, since the constant impact of the water begins to deteriorate the outside core of the rock, and eventually change its shape and smoothness.

17. Thank You!

18. JEOPARDY TIME!

19. Used Links
undless-biology-textbook/the-chemical-foundation- of-life-2/water-51/water-s-high-heat-capacity /
erosion-and-deposition-by-flowing-water
-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF- 8#q=how%20does%20water%20expand%20when% 20frozen