River Geomorphology Lab

Urbana Middle School, IL

The words of Einstein were conveyed in a story which a few river engineers still remember being told by his son, H.A. Einstein, whom many regard as one of the fathers of modern river engineering. When the junior Einstein had said to his father that he had chosen for his doctoral topic the mechanics of sediment movement and the dynamics of rivers, the senior Einstein, after prolonged silence, had said: “Amazing! When I was at the point of choosing my topic I had exactly the same ideas. I never told anybody about this. However, after more detailed serious consideration it became clear to me that this was too difficult a subject. Hence, I opted for the simpler aspects of physics.”

Albert Einstein may have been intimidated by this topic, but the UMS WaterWorks students tackled this topic with excitement and inquiry. This activity was focused on exploring the rather complex physics behind the dynamics of rivers and their effect on the land over which they flow. Simply put, we wanted to understand how flowing water moves sediment and how the river changes its path in response to the sediment erosion and deposition. This is a hot topic for research in engineering, geography, and geology departments at universities throughout the world.

In the lab, the students created a river and lake in a box and identified how sediment is transported by flowing water under various conditions. Students learned about erosion and deposition, silting of lakes and reservoirs, and formation of deltas. Due to initial plumbing problems with the river boxes, students also learned about gravity drains and siphons.

Resources: Lab procedures and question sheet

River Box (drip inlet at the top, standpipe and reservoir at the downstream end, sediment layered with sand, gravel, and rock)

Students build their river boxes in our "green house"

Ready, Set, GO!

Time lapse photos showing a few hours of low flow conditions. Notice that the sand is transported into the reservoir while the larger gravel and rock is left behind. Note the formation of a delta in the reservoir.

(Left) Before; (Right) After. Note the volume of water lost in the reservoir due to silting (or deposition).