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Shirley Duke
Shirley Duke
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Level: S
Word Count: 2,310 Words
Before & After
Reading Activities 100th word: tumble page 5
Before Reading:
Building Academic Vocabulary and
Background Knowledge
Before reading a book, it is important to tap into what
your child or students already know about the topic. This
will help them develop their vocabulary, increase their
reading comprehension, and make connections across the
curriculum.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Look at the cover of the book. What will this book
be about?
What do you already know about the topic?
Let’s study the Table of Contents. What will you learn about
in the book’s chapters?
What would you like to learn about this topic? Do you think
you might learn about it from this book? Why or why not?
Use a reading journal to write about your knowledge of this
topic. Record what you already know about the topic and
what you hope to learn about the topic.
Read the book.
In your reading journal, record what you learned about the
topic and your response to the book.
After reading the book complete the activities below.
Content Area
Vocabulary
Read the list. What do these
words mean?
biotic
contour plowing
drainage basin
drought
eons
erosion
faults
geotextiles
mass wasting
minerals
molten
moraine
rills
sediment
snout
talus
tsunamis
watershed
weathering
After Reading:
Comprehension and Extension Activity
After reading the book, work on the following questions with your child or students in order to check
their level of reading comprehension and content mastery.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What causes erosion? (Summarize)
Why must farmers be knowledgeable in soil conservation methods? (Asking questions)
What are some U.S. landforms that were created by erosion? (Text to self connection)
What are some ways to prevent erosion? (Summarize)
Name the three types of weathering and explain each. (Summarize)
Extension Activity
Collect several medium and small rocks from outside. Use rocks found in the grass or dirt rather than
on the playground. Place the rocks in two small jars and fill each jar with water. Secure the lid on each
jar. Shake only one jar about 100 times and leave the other jar alone. What do you notice? Write down
what you see and any differences between the two jars. How can you describe the process of erosion
from this activity?
Table of Contents
Ch 1
What Is Erosion? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Ch 2 Weathering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Ch 3 Erosion at Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Ch 4 Erosion’s Effect on Earth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Ch 5 People and Erosion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Ch 6 Battling Erosion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Modeling Chemical Erosion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Websites to Visit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
C H A P T E R
O N E
What Is Erosion?
If you visit any national park in the U.S. you could see great
canyons, towering pinnacles, or a cave deep below the Earth’s
surface. Many of these formations came from soil deposited in
layers and cut through by water. Others formed as water, wind, and
ice moved over or through rock, endlessly changing it.
Moving water created the cliffs of Bryce Canyon and wore
away the rock of Niagara Falls. Mammoth Cave grew as rainwater
combined with carbon dioxide slowly dissolved the rock.
4
Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is a huge cave system
with over 400 miles (644 kilometers) explored.
Niagara Falls has eroded so much rock that the falls are now seven miles
(11.2 kilometers) from their original location.
After a flood, rapid changes become visible in the surrounding
land. Soil and pebbles wash away and tumble along the river
bottom. Mud deposits cover the topsoil.
Erosion moves the materials that form the earth from one place
to another. This process creates changes that shape the earth.
5
Rain and snow push loose rock and soil, or sediment, down a
mountain or along a stream. Soil washes away. Gravity pulls tons
of rocks and soil down a slope in a kind of erosion called mass
wasting.
When moving water or wind speed slows, the sediments drop.
Soil deposits can build up land, like deltas and wetlands. Large rock
piles from rockfalls create cone-shaped talus at mountain bases.
6
Heat from the core melts the rock in the middle layer, the mantle.
This heat sets up currents that move the molten rock. The motion
slowly moves the plates on top of the crust. The plate motions
create disturbances in the crust.
Crust
Upper Mantle
Lower Mantle
Outer Core
Inner Core
7
Some changes cause mountains to form and land to break apart.
Different forces break apart rock. The rock bits crumble and are
deposited on ocean floors in layers. Others slip beneath the crust.
Moving water, wind, and ice then carry off the crumbling rock.
The endless force of erosion continues as great mountains crumble
and tons of sediments are carried away.
Volcano
Trench
Magma
Crust
Mantle
New rock forms when layers of sediment pile on the ocean floor and volcanoes
hurl magma out to cool. The formation of the three groups of rock and their
erosion make the rock cycle.
8
Earthquakes and
Volcanoes
Heavy ocean plates sink below
the lighter continental plates.
Their rocky layers melt into the
mantle. The motion and the
sinking crust causes earthquakes.
Some rock is forced up, making
mountain ranges. Land uplifts.
Magma under pressure erupts,
forming volcanoes.
9
C H A P T E R
T W O
Weathering
Erosion carries away broken rocks and soil. But the action of
breaking down rock is weathering. It happens in many ways. The
weathered pieces stay where they are until moved by erosion.
Mechanical weathering breaks rock through physical actions.
The pieces are simply smaller. One of the main ways rock is
weathered is by water freezing and thawing.
Water Fills
Crack
Water Freezes
to Ice
Rock
Breaks
10
Rocks are naturally full of holes and joints. When water freezes inside these
holes, it can cause the rock to split.
Rocks freeze in cold weather and expand as they heat up. Tiny
cracks form in them. Water seeps in the cracks and freezes.
Ice takes up more space than liquid water. The crack enlarges.
The cycle repeats. Finally, pieces split and break off.
During mechanical weathering, pieces of the rock are made smaller, but the
chemical structure of the rock does not change.
11
Earthquakes split rock along fault lines. The open rock and
soil is then exposed to further weathering.
Salt water enters cracks and holes in ocean rocks and then
evaporates. The salt remains. The salt build-up pushes on the
12
cracks and they split.
Another type of weathering is chemical weathering, which
breaks rock apart by causing changes in its make-up.
In chemical weathering, water dissolves minerals of some
rocks. A chemical change happens. The new forms are softer and
weather more easily.
When oxygen dissolves in water it can cause metallic minerals
to rust. Carbon dioxide in rainwater forms a weak acid. Over time,
the acid becomes strong enough to etch and eat away stone.
Limestone is a soft rock that wears away easily. Weathering of limestone at
Ernst Tinaja in Big Bend National Park created this formation.
13
Fast Fact:
Bio- comes from the
Greek word meaning
life. The study of plants
and animals is biology,
and biotic weathering is
caused by living things.
Biotic, or organic, weathering happens when a living organism
is the cause of weathering. Plant roots may enter a crack in a rock.
The growing root presses against the surrounding rock. Roots are
the cause of most biotic weathering. However, some plants also
contain acids that wear away rock.
Microscopic plants, like algae and fungi, may release acids as
14
they grow. This weakens and damages the rock.
Over time, as weathering continues breaking them apart
crumbling rocks become soil. Most weathering takes place at the
surface, where rocks are exposed. However, faults and joints allow
weathering deep into the rock.
Burrowing animals like groundhogs or moles turn over soil when
they dig. This can expose rock, which subjects it to weathering.
Weathering breaks down rocks. They crumble in place and the
pieces stay there until erosion moves them.
15
Caves
Caves are natural openings in rock big enough for a
person to go in. Caves are formed in different ways,
but most come from rainwater mixing with carbon
dioxide from the air. This makes a mild acid.
The acid carried in the water moves down through
the soil. The acids settle on the limestone or
gypsum holding the water and dissolve the soft
rock. Channels grow and widen. Caves take a few
million years to form.
Limestone
Joints
Waterfall
Cavern
Stalagmites
Stalactites
Pillar
Water Table
Stream
As water seeps into the ground, caves and their
features are formed one drip at a time.
16
Fast Fact:
The 119 caves that make
up Carlsbad Caverns
formed when sulfuric
acid seeped into the soil
and slowly dissolved
the limestone.
17
C H A P T E R
T H R E E
Erosion at Work
Water plays an important part in weathering to break apart rocks
into sediment. It is also the key agent for erosion. Water moves the
sediments and deposits them in another place.
Water’s movement through the water cycle powers erosion.
Heat from the Sun evaporates water from the oceans. This turns
the liquid into a gas, or water vapor. It rises into the air.
The Water Cycle
Snowmelt
Runoff
Precipitation
Condensation
Rain Runoff
Evaporation
Surface Flow
Lake
Groundwater Flow
18
Earth’s water cycle is always in motion. As it flows over land and evaporates
from the surface, water plays a key role in erosion.
Cooler temperatures high in the atmosphere cause water
vapor to condense. It forms as droplets and makes clouds. The
drops collect until they grow heavier than the air. The water falls
as precipitation.
Cool Air
Precipitation
19
Land is made of high areas and low regions. Water falls on the
landscape and runs downhill. It runs in small channels called rills
and joins into a stream or river. This forms the drainage basin,
or watershed.
Falling rain soaks into the ground. Once soil is soaked, the drops
slide. They carry the dust and soil particles that stick to them.
20
In streams and rivers, fast moving water pushes along bits of
soil or rock. The moving water carries broken rock, picking up
more as it churns across the riverbed.
Tumbling rocks and sand rub against other rocks, breaking them
into smaller pieces. Pieces rub and scrape the riverbed and loosen
more rock. The friction rubs away sharp edges and points.
21
Falling water soaks the soil, making it heavier. Soil on slopes is
constantly pulled down by gravity. Rills increase water’s flow down
the slopes. Mass wasting moves large amounts of materials down
the slopes in landslides and rock falls.
Waves pound rocky shorelines and beaches. Wind and water
currents flow over rock. Sand from beaches is washed away and
deposited in other places.
22
Energy from the action of water, wind, and currents continually changes the
shape of the coastline through coastal erosion.
Between mountain peaks, snow builds up and the weight turns the snow to ice,
forming glaciers.
Gravity pushes heavy glacial ice downhill. The motion shoves
rocks and soil downward, sculpting and scraping the land under it.
When the glacier melts, a load of soil and rock remain. Melting
water moves the sediment toward the ocean. Glaciers add tons of
sediment to oceans each year.
Glaciers reshape the land through erosion. Grooves gouged into
boulders show the rubbing forces of the glacier material.
23
Blowing wind picks up bits of sand or dust. Wind easily erodes
fine, loose soil. Soil loss limits the productiveness of the land. Bare
ground is subject to more erosion. Sand and dust pollute the air.
Sediment-filled winds scour rocks and cliff faces. The scrubbing
action removes more sediment. Particles are carried as long as
the wind blows. The sediments drop when the wind dies down,
deposited wherever they land.
Wind erosion is most common in flat, dry regions.
24
The Grand Canyon
Rivers carve deep canyons as they
run over plains. They cut through
layers of soil and rock. Over
thousands of years, they can expose
the sides as canyon walls. The
Colorado River has cut the Grand
Canyon so deep that the average
depth is one mile (1.6 kilometers).
Different rock layers show the
conditions at the time these rocks
formed. The layers are visible in
colorful bands.
25
C H A P T E R
F O U R
Erosion’s Effect
on Earth
Mountains, valleys, glaciers, and seas are landforms that have
been shaped by erosion. These natural formations make up an
area’s landscape.
Many mountains may get their start as volcanoes. Others form
when plates collide under the Earth’s crust and push it upward.
Mountains form faster than erosion wears them down. However,
weathering can change the shape of a mountain face over time as
it is worn away through weathering and rock is carried away by
erosion.
Below the mountains are valleys. Rain and snow fall on the
mountains. The water runs down the mountain slopes and into the
valleys in rills and gullies. Those channels flow into rivers, which
carry the water out to sea where they deposit sediments carried in
the water. In this way, erosion moves sediments from high places
to low.
26
The Appalachian Mountains are the oldest in North
America. Their rounded tops show erosion’s work.
The jagged peaks of the younger Teton Mountains
show little erosion.
27
Glaciers scrape their way down mountain valleys, carving the
ground below. They pile up rock and soil along their edges in their
slow move downhill. Meltwater at their snout drops sediment
called moraine.
Recent, rapid melting of glaciers signals a changing climate.
Studies show that more than 100,000 glaciers are shrinking rapidly.
The Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska has retreated more than 9,000 feet (2,800
meters) since 1911.
Landslides, flows, and creeps are a kind of erosion called mass
wasting. Landslides happen fast and can move small amounts of
sediments, or huge tons. Heavy rain increases the weight of the
soil and the mass slips. When muddy sediments move it is called
flow. Gravity pulls entire slopes downhill at a slow rate, known
28
as creep.
Moving water filled with sediment carves deep, narrow valleys.
The different sediment layers that have been deposited over eons
line the canyon walls. Because different kinds of sediment make up
each layer, the erosion rate of every layer varies.
Flat-topped plateaus rise above the surrounding land. They form from lava
flows, uplift, or erosion around softer rock below.
Differing rates of erosion carve features in the rock. Hoodoos,
the tall, thin spires of rock sticking up from an eroded region, look
like stone statues. Crags and rock spires can be found in volcanic
fields that first formed millions of years ago. The twisted shapes
form in the eroded rock fields.
Natural stone arches curve like rocky gates. They form when
their softer rock center has eroded away. Similarly, buttes form
when soft rock has eroded around harder rock. Buttes are isolated
hills, smaller than a mesa, with steep sides.
29
Basins are low regions of the crust where sediments are
deposited. Gentle slopes allow the materials to flow and collect.
Young rivers flow rapidly in narrow channels. They widen and
slow as they erode the rock around them. Older rivers start to
wander in an S-shaped pattern. The Mississippi River runs from
Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico in the typical S-shaped curves.
Rivers empty their sediments into large bodies of water at their
mouths. The land that builds up around the river mouth is called
a delta.
New Orleans
Mississippi River
Gulf of Mexico
Sediment carried by the Mississippi River built a large part of southern Louisiana.
30
The Continental
Divide
ins
nta
ou
yM
ock
eR
Th
The Rocky Mountains form
a natural boundary in North
America. Water moves downhill,
so water falling west of the
mountains drains through
channels to rivers that empty in
the Pacific Ocean. Falling and
running water east of the Rockies
moves through the drainage basin
system to the Atlantic Ocean or
Gulf of Mexico..
31
C H A P T E R
F I V E
People and Erosion
Erosion is part of a natural process in the rock cycle. It breaks
down rocks and deposits them as sediments. However, erosion
can have a significant effect on people’s lives. At times, erosion
can be costly, deadly, and harmful to the environment.
Both drought and too much water can cause many erosionrelated problems. Flooding from heavy rains, hurricanes, or
tsunamis carries mud, fertilizers, and toxic chemicals. This
polluted water causes great damage to homes and businesses.
32
People may have to evacuate flooded areas and sometimes have to move entirely
because their homes have been destroyed.
Many small businesses don’t reopen after floods due to their
losses. Businesses cannot operate when their suppliers cannot
deliver goods. When businesses shut down, cities and towns
suffer because they are not collecting as much tax money as they
once were.
33
When areas flood, extra nutrients are often introduced into the
water supply due to poor waste control. Runoff water with these
nutrients enters lakes and ponds. Algal blooms overgrow in the
water. Some algae produce harmful toxins. Removing them and
treating the water can be costly for the community.
Runoff water also dumps sediment into ponds and rivers. Too
much sediment is harmful to the organisms living there.
Common Sources of Erosion
Pollutant
Sources
dirt, sand, grasses
construction, stream banks,
bare lawns, car washing
nutrients
over-fertilizing, pet waste,
loose grass clippings and leaves
germs
garbage, pet waste
carbon dioxide
car exhaust, oil leaks, burning
leaves and garbage
pesticides
overuse, applying before rains,
spills
metals
34
cars and trucks, metal gutters
and downspouts
Dry soil is easily picked up by the wind. Sandstorms are dangerous because
they pollute the air and drastically reduce visibility on roads.
Droughts cause problems, too. Without moisture, soil becomes
dry and can be swept away by the wind. Sand and dust storms
pollute the air. As sand blasts against buildings, it chips away at
paint and clogs drains. The soil is stripped away, and dust coats
the region. It settles over crops and roads.
Trees and other plants are necessary to prevent erosion of soil.
Wildfires strip the land of the grass and trees that hold the soil in
place. Grazing animals, like sheep eat away at the ground’s plant
cover and expose the soil. Clear-cutting forests acts much the
same as a wildfire by leaving only bare soil, which erodes quickly.
35
Fossils from
Erosion
Erosion uncovered the first fossils.
Sediments covered the ancient
remains of some animals and
plants. The layers of sediment
preserved them while pressure built
up and minerals replaced the hard
parts. Eventually, water and wind
moved across the long-ago resting
sites to reveal fossils. In each layer,
fossils reveal clues about the kind of
life in the time when these ancient
creatures lived.
36
Erosion of beaches is of great concern as well. Waves, tides,
and currents remove sand from beaches. Many people build their
homes along the coastline. But waves gradually pull away the land
the homes are built on. When supporting land is removed, homes
tumble into the oceans below.
Loss of beauty and natural habitats are one part of erosion’s
effect. The financial cost is enormous. Preventing erosion and repair
after natural disasters is expensive and takes time.
Due to beach erosion and dune destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy, in
2012, these oceanfront homes in New Jersey now sit on the water’s edge.
37
C H A P T E R
S I X
Battling Erosion
Erosion affects people every day, often in a harmful way.
Sometimes erosion can’t be controlled. Still, there are some things
you can do to reduce its effects.
Slow storm runoff in your yard. Learn how water flows on your
lawn. Does it sink in or puddle? Sandy soil soaks up water, but
denser materials, like clay, don’t absorb well. Add trees and shrubs
to your lawn to prevent runoff.
38
Protect bare soil by planting grass or using mulch. Use materials
that let water pass through them without getting too soggy. Instead
of letting water from rain gutters flow into the lawn, use rain barrels
to catch the water and use it to water your garden.
39
People may cover a seeded hillside with fabric to prevent erosion and allow
new plants to grow and take root. The plants will then keep the soil in place.
Construction sites use materials to prevent soil erosion. Nets,
straw blankets, and woven geotextiles block runoff sediments.
Certain farming practices limit erosion of topsoil. Contour
plowing follows the lines of the land being plowed. The water
makes tiny channels inside the rows of soil. This reduces the
40
amount of runoff water, and with it, soil loss.
Farmers can hold soil during non-growing seasons by leaving
leftover stalks in their fields. Groundcover along stream banks
slows erosion. Grass, shrubs, and trees native to your area make
good groundcover.
Proper range management can prevent animals from
overgrazing fields. On a larger scale, work to put an end to clearcutting forests. Good forest and land practices allow timber cutting
with the least possible destruction to the environment.
Forests are clear-cut to create farmland, harvest wood, and build structures.
41
Dams and levees control water flow near streams, rivers, and
oceans. Naturally flowing water changes all the time. Too much
water causes flooding, so gates on dams allow people to control
the amount of water coming through. These structures remove
water and prevent it from flooding the nearby land. Dams also
generate electricity and supply cities with water.
Fast Fact:
Worldwide, there are
3,900 large dams used to
block rivers. Almost every
large river in the U.S. has
a dam built on it.
42
Flooding during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 broke the levees and
floodwalls protecting the city of New Orleans, causing incredible
damage to homes and businesses.
Dams and levees have problems, too. In some cases, flooding
has been so severe that water broke them or went over the top.
Dams that have given way flood the valleys below and cause
great destruction. Sediments that support wetlands are reduced.
Habitats are affected by the changes they cause.
43
Erosion
Disasters
Natural disasters like
earthquakes cause erosion
problems. Earthquakes are
responsible for landslides,
mudslides, and tsunamis. An
earthquake caused a tsunami
in Japan in 2011. Special
construction practices and
earthquake foundations reduce
the damage earthquakes have
on buildings.
People can’t get rid of erosion, but they can reduce the
erosion they cause. Anchor the soil in place with groundcover.
Control the water moving over it by making changes. Be aware
of good erosion control in your city. Learning about erosion and
exploring changes in erosion prevention will keep the land as
natural as possible.
44
Modeling Chemical
Erosion
Try this!
1. Think about what you’ve learned about erosion.
2. Fill 2 clear glasses with vinegar diluted with water to stand for acidic rainwater.
3. Add ¼ cup (50 milliliters) baking soda to one glass and a
piece of chalk or limestone rock to the other and stir.
4. Make observations about what happens.
5. Observe the glasses the next day. Was anything different?
6. Explain the model in terms of chemical weathering.
The acid and calcite in limestone rocks made a chemical change
in the materials. This model shows the chemical change that takes
place when slightly acidic rain dissolves limestone rock.
45
Glossary
biotic (BYE-ah-tik): having to do with a living organism
contour plowing (KAHN-toor PLOU-ing): to turn over the soil following the
lines of the land to prevent erosion
drainage basin (DRAY-nij BAY-suhn): an area of lower land that naturally
collects runoff water and channels it to a river
drought (drout): an extended time of little or no rain
eons (EE-ahns): a period of time over thousands or millions of years
erosion (i-ROH-zhuhn): the moving away of weathered rock by wind,
water, and ice
faults (FAWLTS): a large break in the surface of the earth
geotextiles (jee-oh-TEK-STILZ): fabrics that allow water to filter through
them as they protect, drain, or hold soil in place
mass wasting (MAS WAYST-ing): a large amount of rock and soil moving
down a slope rapidly through the force of gravity
minerals (MIN-uhr-uhlz): a natural material with a crystal structure found in
the earth that makes up rocks
molten (MOHL-tuhn): the melted state of rock that makes up the mantle and
can reach the earth’s surface
moraine (MOE-rayn): rocks and sediment that are dropped at the end of a
glacier when it melts
rills (RILZ): small channels formed by runoff water as it moves downhill
sediment (SED-uh-muhnt): rock, sand, or soil moved from one place to
another by water, wind, or ice
snout (SNOUT): the end region of a glacier, where it melts
talus (TAL-us): large piles of rock at the base of a mountain resulting
from rockfalls
tsunamis (tse-NAH-mees): tall, damaging waves of water formed
following an earthquake at sea
watershed (WAW-tur-shed): the area of land that runoff water moves through
to drain into a river
weathering (WETH-uhr-ing): the breaking down of rock by physical,
chemical, or biotic forces
46
Index
basin(s) 20, 30, 31
canyons 4, 25
caves 16
drought(s) 32, 35
farming 40
flood(s) 5, 33, 34, 42, 43
fossils 36
glaciers 23, 24, 26, 28
ice 4, 8, 10, 11, 23
mass wasting 6, 22, 28
mountains 8, 26, 31
plants 14, 35, 36, 40
river(s) 5, 20, 21, 25, 26, 30, 31, 34, 42
sediment(s) 6, 8, 18, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 40, 43
weathering 10, 12, 13, 14, 18, 26
wind 4, 6, 8, 22, 24, 35, 36
Websites to Visit
www.education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/
erosion/?ar_a=1
www.geography4kids.com/files/land_erosion.html
www.ducksters.com/science/earth_science/erosion.php
47
About the Author
Shirley Duke is a children’s author and a former
science teacher. Most of her books are about
science. She enjoys nature, being outdoors, and
wildlife and spent time doing fieldwork when
she studied earth science. She lives with her
husband in Texas and in the Jemez Mountains
of New Mexico, near a canyon and river valley
eroded and cut long ago by the Jemez and San
Antonio Rivers. Multi-colored layers of rock form
the canyon walls and the red rock canyons make
perfect hiking scenery.
Meet The Author!
www.meetREMauthors.com
© 2015 Rourke Educational Media
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical
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Edited by: Jill Sherman
Cover and Interior design by: Tara Raymo
Library of Congress PCN Data
Erosion / Shirley Duke
(Let’s Explore Science)
ISBN 978-1-62717-751-1 (hard cover)
ISBN 978-1-62717-873-0 (soft cover)
ISBN 978-1-62717-983-6 (e-Book)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2014935676
48
Printed in the United States of America, North Mankato, Minnesota
Also Available as:
Expanding on our popular Let’s Explore Science series, this book focuses on erosion. How
it’s caused, the effects it has on the current landscape, and the way it impacts our Earth are all
explained. Great changes take place to form mountains and break apart the land. Erosion carries
away broken rocks and soil through a process called weathering. Explore the tremendous ways our
planet has changed in this fact-filled book on erosion. This book will allow students to use information
from several sources to provide evidence that Earth events can occur quickly or slowly.
TITLES IN THIS SERIES:
Earth and Space Science
Biofuels
Climate and Weather
Erosion
Exploring the Solar System
Geology
Plate Tectonics and Disasters
Rocks, Minerals, and Soil
Rot and Decay: Decomposing and Recycling
Sorting the Elements: The Periodic Table at Work
Space
The Earth and the Role of Water
Understanding Biomes
Weather
History and Nature Of Science
Physical Science
Enjoy Your Meal: What Happens When You Eat?
Environmental Disasters
Going Green
Infections, Infestations, and Diseases
Our Footprint on Earth
Restoring Wetlands
Energy
Floods, Dams, and Levees
Forces and Motion at Work
Ice to Steam: Changing States of Matter
It’s Electric! Currents
Microworlds
Turn on the Light: How Electricity Works
Waves of Light and Sound
Life Science
You Can’t Wear These Genes
Science and Technology
Science As Inquiry
Animal Invaders
Animal Science
Biodiversity
Cells
Food Chains and Webs: The Struggle to Survive
Food From the Sun: How Plants Live and Grow
Fossils: Uncovering the Past
Plants Out of Place
The Nervous System
Build it Green
Built to Last
Cell Phones
Computers
GPS
Inventors and Discoveries
Medical Technology and Engineering
MP3 Players
Solar Energy
Thanks, NASA!
The Internet and Email
Video Games
Wind Energy
Enterprise STEM
Hypothesis, Theory, Law
Science Fair Success!
Understanding Models
Using Scientific Tools
Using the Scientific Method
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