Erosion Lab

About this simulation

A cut-away landscape in time-lapse, with topsoil, subsoil and rock. Let rain run off a hillside into a lake, wind push a sand dune, or a glacier grind down a valley. Save a run, change one thing such as the ground cover, and compare the soil carried away on the chart.

What students can explore

Does a steeper slope lose more soil?
How much do grass and trees protect the ground?
Where does the soil go when it is washed away?
How does a glacier change the shape of a valley?

Learning objectives

1Explain the difference between weathering, erosion and deposition.
2Compare how water, wind and ice wear the land, and how slope and plant cover change the amount of soil lost.
3Describe ways people slow erosion, such as planting, terraces and windbreaks.

Questions teachers ask

What is the difference between weathering and erosion?

Weathering breaks rock into smaller pieces where it is. Erosion is the moving part: water, wind, ice or gravity carry the pieces away. Deposition is when they are dropped somewhere else, such as a delta.

Why do plants stop erosion?

Roots hold the soil together, leaves catch raindrops before they hit the ground, and plants slow the water running downhill. In the lab, bare ground can lose many times more soil than ground covered by trees.

How can I use the Erosion Lab in class?

Run the water mode on bare ground and press Save this run. Then change one thing, such as Trees or Terraces, and compare the two lines on the chart. Finish with the wind and ice modes to see other ways land is worn away.

Embed this simulation

Drop it into your LMS, blog, or class site — free.

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