Soil Runoff

Fri, Apr 5, 2013

Materials: Cookie sheets, mulch, water

Activity: Tilt two cookie sheets at a 30 degree angle. Fill the top edges of the cookie sheets with soil. Cover the soil on one cookie sheet, with mulch (grass, leaves, twigs). Slowly pour water down each cookie sheet. How much soil erodes on each cookie sheet?

Research Question: How do different kinds of mulch affect erosion?

Resources:

Effect of Mulching on Erosion

Project #137, 'Covered', from Janice VanCleave's 200 Gooey, Slippery, Slimy, Weird and Fun Experiments.

Tags: Earth Materials 2013