Water Flow Lab Worksheet

Question

Directions: Use this worksheet to make predictions, record your data, and draw conclusions about how Earth’s materials and its surface interact with the flow of water. This worksheet will be submitted as part of your portfolio assignment.
Part 1. Follow a Stream—Water Erosion Lab
Introduction
The amount of work a flowing stream can do depends on the energy it carries. Various factors can influence this energy, such as the volume of water that is flowing and the incline gradient (steepness), which affects the water’s speed. Mountains can have a range of elevations, so average temperatures at different mountain locations will affect how much energy is present in the water-Earth system. When a flowing stream approaches a larger body of water, the effects on the land depend on the characteristics of the water body involved. Different land formations occur when the stream enters into a river estuary, a body of water with large waves, or a body of water with big differences in tide levels.
Make Predictions
Using what you have learned about stream competence and capacity, use the questions below to make some predictions about what you might observe in the Water Erosion Lab.
1. How will water volume, incline gradient, and temperature affect the energy of a stream?
2. Suppose a stream has a low volume but a steep gradient. How might the stream change the land? Provide your reasoning.

3. Now suppose a stream has a high volume but a low gradient. How might the stream change the land? Provide your reasoning.
Record Data
Instructions
Follow the instructions presented in the Water Erosion Lab. Gather information to complete the data table presented for each terrain type as you follow a stream through rocky terrain, down a mountain, and across plains to large bodies of water with unique characteristics.
Rocky Terrain
Water
Volume
Incline
Gradient
Rate of
Erosion:
Fast or
Slow?
River
Width:
Wide or
Narrow?
River
Depth:
Deep or
Shallow?
High
High

Moderate

Low

Medium
High

Moderate

Low

Low
High

Moderate

Low

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Mountain Terrain
Average
Temperature
Incline
Gradient
Rate of
Erosion: Fast or Slow?
Valley Shape:
Flat-bed, V-shape, or U-shape?
High (warm)
High

Moderate

Low

Moderate
(cool)
High

Moderate

Low

Hills and Plains Terrain
Water
Volume
Incline
Gradient
River Channel Description
Choose any terms that apply: wide, narrow, bifurcated, braided, meandering
High
High

Moderate

Low

Low
High

Moderate

Low

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Near Water Body
Influence:
Delta Description
Waves

Tires

River estuary

Possible
Shapes
Delta Description
Arcuate

Cuspate

Bird-foot

Inverted

Answer 1

Water Flow Lab Worksheet

Part 1. Follow a Stream—Water Erosion Lab

Introduction

The amount of work a flowing stream can do depends on the energy it carries. Various factors can influence this energy, such as the volume of water that is flowing and the incline gradient (steepness), which affects the water’s speed. Mountains can have a range of elevations, so average temperatures at different mountain locations will affect how much energy is present in the water-Earth system. When a flowing stream approaches a larger body of water, the effects on the land depend on the characteristics of the water body involved. Different land formations occur when the stream enters into a river estuary, a body of water with large waves, or a body of water with big differences in tide levels.

Make Predictions

1. How will water volume, incline gradient, and temperature affect the energy of a stream?

   • Water volume directly impacts stream energy; higher volume increases energy and capacity to erode materials. A steep incline gradient also increases water velocity, leading to greater energy and erosion potential. Temperature affects water density and viscosity; warmer temperatures can increase energy by reducing viscosity, allowing water to flow more freely.

2. Suppose a stream has a low volume but a steep gradient. How might the stream change the land? Provide your reasoning.

   • A stream with low volume but a steep gradient would likely have a high velocity, leading to fast erosion in narrow pathways. It may create v-shaped valleys as it cuts downwards into the terrain but may not transport as much sediment due to lower water volume.

3. Now suppose a stream has a high volume but a low gradient. How might the stream change the land? Provide your reasoning.

   • A stream with high volume and low gradient will flow slower but can transport a larger amount of sediment. It is likely to create a braided or meandering river pattern, leading to wider channels and possibly forming delta features at its mouth as it deposits sediment in a larger body of water.

Record Data

Rocky Terrain

| Water Volume | Incline Gradient | Rate of Erosion: Fast or Slow? | River Width: Wide or Narrow? | River Depth: Deep or Shallow? | |--------------|------------------|----------------------------------|------------------------------|-------------------------------| | High | High | Fast | Narrow | Shallow | | Moderate | High | Moderate | Narrow | Shallow | | Low | High | Slow | Narrow | Shallow | | Medium | High | Moderate | Wide | Deep | | High | Moderate | Moderate | Wide | Shallow | | Low | Moderate | Slow | Narrow | Shallow | | Low | High | Slow | Narrow | Shallow |

Mountain Terrain

| Average Temperature | Incline Gradient | Rate of Erosion: Fast or Slow? | Valley Shape: Flat-bed, V-shape, or U-shape? | |---------------------|------------------|----------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| | High (warm) | High | Fast | V-shape | | Moderate (cool) | High | Moderate | V-shape | | Low | Moderate | Slow | U-shape | | Moderate | Low | Slow | U-shape |

Hills and Plains Terrain

| Water Volume | Incline Gradient | River Channel Description |--------------|------------------|----------------------------------------| | High | High | Bifurcated | | Moderate | Moderate | Meandering | | Low | Low | Wide | | Low | High | Narrow | | High | Moderate | Braided | | Low | Low | Meandering |

Near Water Body

| Influence: Delta Description | Waves | Tides | River Estuary | |------------------------------|-------|-------|---------------| | Possible Shapes Delta Description | Arcuate | | | | | Cuspate | | | | | Bird-foot | | | | | Inverted | | |

Conclusions

In the water erosion lab, the interactions between water volume, incline gradient, and temperature significantly influenced the rate of erosion and the characteristics of river channels. As the stream descends from rocky mountain terrains to plains and eventually into larger water bodies, we observe crucial changes in land form shaping due to varying stream energy.

Note: Data may vary based on specific observations and measurements taken during the lab experiments.