MINIATURE MASS WASTING SIMULATION

Materials
1. 2-3 Big Stones
2. 10-20 gravel stones
3. A chunk of earth (slightly wet)
4. 2-3 kilos of sand
5. Small tree/shrub sticks
6. Pail of water

Procedure 1:
1. Create a miniature mountain slope using the materials above.
2. Use the 2-3 big stones as foundation.
3. Use the chunk of earth as top soil.
4. On the foot of the slope, put on top of the earth some sand material.
5. Put on top 5-10 gravel stones near slopes. Support the stones with some small sticks.
6. Put the rest of gravel stones as outcrops of rocks exposed along the steep slopes.
7. Once the set-up is done, get a dipper with water and slowly pour it near the slopes hitting with
water the small sticks.

Guide Questions:
1. How do the sticks and rock outcrops help in preventing the fall of gravel stones found near
slopes.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. What do you think will cause the gravel stones to fall or slide downslope?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

3. Aside from the gravel stones, what other materials move downslope?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. Compare the speed of the movement of the material. (Fast/Slow)
Rockfall (Gravel) Earth Earth and Sand

5. What does the pouring of water to the sticks and rock outcrops represent?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

6. How does the presence of water contribute in the mass movement of materials?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
7. How does the mixture of water, soil, earth, sand and other materials influences the mass
movements?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

8. How the arrangement of the sticks and outcrops do influences the mass movement of
materials?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

9. Where did the moving materials stop? Why did it happen?

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
10. If you are an urban planner in a city with numerous steep slopes, what major hazards would you
have planned for? What recommendations would you make to reduce these dangers to the
community?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________.