Name:TinaZheng

Science

ClassCode:810
Date:11/24/15
RiverMeandersInvestigation

Introduction:

Ameanderingriverisariverwithbendsandalowgradient.Riverswithalowgradienttendsto
havemorebends.Windingpatternsofcurvescalledmeanderwasformedasthegradientand
slopeoftheriverdecreases.Theslopeandgradientalsoaffectsthevelocityoftheriver,whichis
thespeedofsomethinginagivendirection.Inthisexperiment,thevelocityisthespeedofthe
waterthatstravelingdownward.

Whentheslopeandgradientoftheriverishigh,thevelocityincreases.Iftheslopeandgradient
oftheriverislow,thevelocitydecreases.Inthiscase/experiment,thevelocityisdecreased
becausetheriverhasalowgradientandslope.Thiscausestherivertohaveahardertime
erodingintoitsbed.

Eventhoughthevelocitydecreaseswhenariverhavealowgradientandslope,thereisstilla
highervelocityontheouteredgeofthemeandercalledthecutbank.Thisparterodesthe
sedimentsoftheriver/alongtheriver.Asthewatererodesthesediments,itthenpushestheextra
sedimentinsidethemeanderanddepositsit.Thispartoftheriveriscalledthepointbar.

Thisexperimentwasdonetodeterminehowthemeandersofastreamaffectstheerosionand
depositionofthestreambed.Ifthestreammeandersthenerosionwillhappenonthecutbank
(outsideofthemeander)anddepositionwillhappenonthepointbar(insideofthemeander).
Thisisbecausethevelocityisgreateroutsideofthemeanderandgentlerinsidethemeander.
Thisisbecausewhenvelocityincreases,thewaterspeedincreasesaswell.

Methods:

Todothisexperiment,firstsetuptherivermodelbyplacingthewedgeonitsside(notstanding
straight,butleaningonitsside).Afterthat,connectthewaterchannelwiththecatchbasin.Then
connect/placetherainmakeronthehighestpointofthewaterchannel.Afterthis,placethe
connectedwaterchannel,rainmakerandcatchbasinontopofthewedge.Tobeginthe
investigationfirstpactthesandwithahandoraforktogetherontothewaterchannelandcreatea
layerofsandbetweenpointAandB.Afterthat,createmeanderswithyourfinger(dontmake
toomuch).Thenpour50mlofwaterintotherainmakerandobservetheeffectofthewateronthe
sandandalsowhatshappeninginthecatchbasin.Repeatthestepmentionedbefore(pouringthe
water)2moretimes.

Results:

Illustrationofprofileofmeander

DescriptionofData/Observation

PointCisontheoutside/cutbank.
(Thisistheareathaterodethe
sediment/sandalongtheriver/stream)
(Erosion)

PointDisontheinside/pointbar.
(Thisistheareathatsand/extra
sedimentwasdeposited)
(Deposition)

Theoutsideofthemeander,pointC
issteepandtheinsideofthemeander,
pointDismoregentle.

ScientificDiscussion:

Thehypothesisfortheexperimentwas,ifthestreammeandersthenerosionwillhappenonthe
cutbank(outsideofthemeander)anddepositionwillhappenonthepointbar(insideofthe
meander),becausethevelocityisgreaterontheoutsidecausingerosion(cutbank)andis
gentle/weakerinsidethemeandercausingdeposition(pointbar).

Baseontheresearchthisoccurredbecausethevelocityofthewaterdecreaseswhenthegradient
andslopeoftheriverdecreases.Sincethewedgeofthemodelisonitsside,itdecreasesthe
slopeoftheriver.Thoughthevelocitydecreases,thevelocityincreasesontheouteredgeofthe
meander,causingerosion,andthevelocitydecreasesmoreontheinneredgeofthemeander,
causingdeposition.Oneconstraintforthisinvestigationwouldbethatitsnotanactualriver,so
thingsthatmayoccurinanactualrivermaynothappeninthisrivermodel.Forexamplethereis
noconstantflowofwatercausinglimitationtothevelocitytoerodeanddepositsediments.
Anotherconstraintcanbethe50mlofwatermightnotbeexactly50mlofwatersoitcanaffect
theerosionanddepositionintherivermodel.