======Wind Erosion======


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**Alternative titles:** Modeling Wind Erosion
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Put on safety goggles before beginning the activity.  
  - Place dry sand in one pan (Pan A), wet sand in another (Pan B), and sand mixed with gravel in a third (Pan C).  
  - Hold a hair dryer 10 cm from Pan A at a 45° angle and blow for 30 seconds. Record observations.  
  - Repeat with the dryer at a 10° angle for 30 seconds, keeping the same distance. Record results.  
  - Repeat the process with Pans B and C.  
  - Smooth the sand in each pan. Position the dryer 10 cm away at 45° and blow for 1 minute. Record observations for each pan.  
  - Repeat at a 10° angle with the dryer held 20 cm away. Record results.  
  - Build a small sand pile in Pan A, measure its height, and blow with the hair dryer for 30 seconds. Record the new height.  
  - Rebuild the sand pile and add materials (sticks, foil, sponge, etc.) to slow erosion. Record what you used, then repeat the blowing test.  
  - Repeat the sand pile test with wet sand in Pan B.



====Links==== 
wind erosion classroom demo - Janne Tamblyn Lee: 
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📄 WIND EROSION LAB - SCIENCE IN THE PARK: GEOLOGY: [[https://jamesriverpark.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Wind-Erosion-Lab.pdf]]\\


====Variations====
  * Test erosion with different grain sizes (fine sand, coarse sand, or small pebbles).  
  * Try using natural wind outdoors instead of a hair dryer for comparison.  
  * Experiment with adding vegetation (grass clippings, leaves, or small plants) to simulate how plants reduce erosion.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Safety goggles must be worn at all times.  
  * Keep hands and hair away from the hair dryer while in use.  
  * Do not point the hair dryer at people.  
  * Clean up spilled sand promptly to avoid slipping hazards.




====Questions to Consider====
  * How did wet sand compare to dry sand in resisting erosion? (Wet sand held together better, resisting wind movement.)  
  * What effect did gravel have on erosion? (Gravel reduced the amount of sand movement because it added weight and stability.)  
  * Was the erosion in this experiment more like abrasion or deflation? Why? (It modeled deflation, because wind removed finer particles from the surface.)  
  * How did changing the force (distance of the dryer) affect erosion? (Closer distances caused more movement; greater distances reduced the effect.)  
  * How did the angle of wind affect the sand movement? (Lower angles tended to push particles farther, while steeper angles displaced them upward.)  
  * In which climate—wet or dry—would wind erosion be more significant? (Dry climates, because loose, dry particles are more easily moved by wind.)