Students in science class are studying the effects of erosion. One group wanted to study the effects of stream flow on the erosion of the stream bank. They picked a section of stream that had a pronounced meandering path. As winter progressed, the students expected the melting snow and ice to increase stream volume and flow. In addition, when the spring rains came, stream flow would also increase for a time. The experiment would run from January through April. What are important components of this investigation? Pick out all the statements that are true. An appropriate hypothesis might be: As stream flow increased, erosion at Site 1 will increase.
An appropriate hypothesis might be: How do you expect erosion and deposition to change over time?
Students should calculate the before/after straightness of the stream by dividing the length of the channel in a section of a river with the straight-line distance of the same section of the river.
At Sites 1, 2 and 3, students collect data, measuring the stream depth to construct the cross-profile of the stream.
Students should identify the kind of sediment found on the stream bottom at each labelled site.
Students take before and after photos of research location.