Evidence of wind erosion.
The wind changes the surface of the earth and other planets. Wind erosion occurs in the processes of deflation---wind removing particles from the surface---and abrasion---the grinding and sandblasting of particles carried by wind. Understanding wind erosion is important in science because it helps determine how the landscape has changed over time.
Barriers
Test different kinds of barriers to see which is the most effective against wind erosion. Create a miniature scene in a box of land affected by wind erosion. Place sand in one half and soil in the other half and three different barriers in between the two halves. One experiment uses three plants: foxtail fern, boxwood shrub and leatherleaf sage. A fan is placed on the sand side to simulate the erosion. Weigh the amount of sand that has passed through each different barrier on different trials to determine the most effective one.
Debris
Show how much wind erosion is occurring in your area. For the project you will need paint stirring paddles from a paint store, double-sided tape, a marker, a camera and a notebook. Tape the paddles to the ground facing various directions around your house. Check the paddles every couple of days to see if any debris has accumulated on the paddles and from which direction it may be coming from. If there is dirt or sand on the paddles, it may have come from wind erosion in that particular direction. Document your findings and draw conclusions about wind erosion in your area.
Rocks and Sand
Show how wind erosion affects rocks over many years. The project requires fine sand, an electric fan, a pie pan, sandpaper, a soft rock and a hard rock. Place the fine sand in the pie pan, take it outside, and turn the fan on. Have the students observe what happens to the sand and ask what would happen if the sand hit some clay or a rock. Have them rub sandpaper against the soft rock and the hard rock 100 times and have them record their observations. Ask them how the sandpaper rubbing is like the windblown sand. This can be done as a science fair project by comparing results among multiple rock samples.
Long-term Erosion
Demonstrate long-term erosion in a short period of time with a can of compressed air. Set up several different types of materials such as soil, sand and gravel. Prepare equal amounts of each in some bowls or containers and let them dry overnight. Conduct an experiment with some compressed air to determine which substance is most affected by the "wind." This can be further diversified by preparing combined mixes of sand and soil, soil and gravel, or whatever other substance you have access to.
Tags: wind erosion, affected wind, fine sand, hard rock, most effective, paddles from, rock hard
