Mass wasting lab essay

Paper towels Cardboard trays Clay soil sample Sand sample Gravel sample Potting soil sample Home soil sample 100 ml beaker 3 cardboard trays 5 plastic cups Protractor Masking tape (labels) Procedure The first thing did was gather all of my required materials, which are listed above. I then began to pour my samples one at a time into the 100 ml beaker and then poured the 100 ml of each sample into its labeled cup.

Make sure to remove all of the previous sample from the beaker before adding a new one. The next step was to set up my three cardboard trays which are wrapped in plastic wrap. I put two trays flat on the table and the third one upside down on top of the other two trays forming a little bridge. I then slowly started to pour my first sample onto the center of the top tray. Once all Of the sample is On the tray I observed the shape of the pile and recorded it into my table. Then measured the angle of the pile with my protractor. After getting my angle recorded on my table collected the sample and returned it to its proper cup. I then repeated this sequence for every sample.

Then next step was to again take your first sample and slowly pour it onto the center of he top tray. Once the entire sample is on the tray pick a side and slowly start to tilt the top tray. Once I noticed movement in the sample I stopped help the tray and used my protractor to measure the angle of the slanted tray. I also recorded what movement I saw at that particular degree of tilt. After recording I tilted the tray some more until the samples moved some more. Again I stopped recorded the angle of the tray and recorded what saw. I then tilted the tray until the entire sample slid off of the edge.

Again I recorded the angle at which this occurred and recorded all of my data on able 1. Repeat these steps for every sample. The third step was to saturate each sample with tap water. Once soaked the samples I covered to opening of the cup with my hand and poured out all the excess water.

I then slowly poured my first sample on the top tray but thin time not in the middle more like a third of the way from the edge. And again I slowly started to tilt the tray upwards. Once I saw movement I stopped measured the angle of the tray and recorded what I observed. I then began to lift the tray again and once saw the saturated sample move again measured the angle of the tray and corded what I saw. I then tilted the tray until all the sample had slid off the edge of off.

Again measured the angle at which this occurred and recorded what is saw. Repeat these steps for all samples. Table 1 . Dry sediment angle Of repose Sediment name Average grain size or range of sizes Average angle of repose of pile (in degrees) Description of loose pile of sediment Data (does it stay in a nice cone, or run out into a flat pile? ) Silt 40 degrees Nice cone stays together Sand 30 degrees Forms nice cone Gravel Pebble 25 degrees Sloppy pile scattered Clay 20 degrees Wide base short coneHome Wide base cone Table 2. Dry sediment mass wasting observations Angle of tray at initial motion or event (when conditions change) Description of initial motion Angle of tray at subsequent motion or event Description of subsequent motion soil 19 degrees Shifted from top 35 degrees Flattened out 55 degrees s Slid off edge 5 degrees Sliding out of pile 23 degrees Started rolling 13 degrees Shifted from top of cone 55 degrees 17 degrees Shifted from the top and middle 38 degrees Table 3. Saturated sediment mass wasting observations 60 degrees Clumps began to roll 75 degreesSlowly slid towards the edge 90 degrees Slid Off edge 50 degrees Clump started to roll Slid towards the edge 83 degrees Rolled off the top 65 degrees Flattened out, some rolled off 72 degrees Rolled of edge Clumps roll Large clumps roll Off Most slides off some material stays stuck to tray Large clumps slide 70 degrees Biggest clump slides off Rest Its and Conch suasion After the first step I noticed that the sand and potting soil made the best most defined cones while the clay and home sample had short wide based cones.

The gravel had the worst cone it didn’t stay together and spread way out.