Earth Science: Causes of Earth’s Changing Surfaces

1. Earth Science: Causes of Earth’s Changing Surfaces 4th grade Science Click the Earth to come back to beginning Click the blue arrow to go to next page

2. What does it mean? Click the yellow boxes to find out! Erosion: The wearing away of the land by wind, water, or the movement of glaciersWeathering and erosion are at work in Mammoth Cave, lengthening and adding passages. Weathering: The chemical or physical processes that break down rocks on the Earth's surfaceThe powerful forces of weathering, erosion, and deposition contribute to the formation of caves. Deposition: The act or process by which an agent of erosion such as wind or water deposits sediment Deposition forms stalactites and stalagmites in caves.

3. Weather and Erosion Check out the video below: http://schoolmediainteractive.com/view/object/clip/6EF46CAA2D38E0EABB11A57BAFFB1753

4. Volcanic Activity Check out the video about volcanic activity – Another process that builds and tears at the Earth’s surface. (Click on the picture to start the video)

5. Glaciers Go through the module to learn more about how glaciers affect our earth’s surface http://www.as.uky.edu/sites/default/files/elearning/module13swf.swf

6. Exploring the Earth: • Click on the next three locations that have been affected by weathering and erosion to see what they look like. Remember to be thinking about what could have caused them to form like this! • North Carolina, Sand dunes • Bernard Glacier, Alaska • Grand Canyon, Arizona After viewing all three locations click the blue arrow to go to last page

7. North Carolina, Sand dunes Click to find out how they were formed!

8. Bernard Glacier, Alaska Click to find out more about the Bernard Glacier!

9. Grand Canyon, Arizona Click to learn more about how the Grand Canyon was formed

10. How the sand dunes were formed: Click here to go back and search the other locations • Wind • Minerals (rocks) were washed up from mountains and overtime sand was formed • The sand would be pushed and blown around and grass and other remains in the area can cause the sand to stick and create the dunes • Wind, rain, hurricanes, etc. can help to form the dunes, but they can also destroy them

11. Bernard Glacier: Click here to go back and search the other locations • Very slow but will remove anything in its path • Helps to shape the land around it • Can push the earth away and upward from itself causing mountains and hills to form • Formed from snow building up and turning to ice along with debris making the mass very heavy. When it becomes so heavy it can shift and begin to move creating its path

12. How the Grand Canyon was formed: Click here to go back and search the other locations • Colorado river • Water erosion • “Uplifting” and shifting of the earth caused the rock to move and create the plateaus and mountain like features we see today • Over long period of time

13. Write down any questions or comments you may have and we will discuss in class What else can you think of that might be created from erosion and other activity that can cause the earth’s surface to change? Write them down and then check your answers by clicking the yellow box below Remember to think about erosion, deposition, volcanic activity, glacial movement and weathering. Streams, hills, mountains, valleys, sinkholes, caves, canyons, glacial features, dunes, springs, volcanoes and islandsand much more