Change one condition
Compare two runs with one slider changed. Each run begins with the same bank sediment.
River Erosion Table
Change river slope, flow and vegetation to compare erosion, deposition and sediment carried downstream.
Grades 3–5 · Earth Science
Your goal
Run a river that erodes 2 sediment units and deposits 1.5 units in the lower reach. Start each run with 60 units.
Reduced motion is on. The controls still update the scene.
Adjust the flow, slope and plants, then run one river event.
Each run begins with 60 bank sediment units. Erosion scales with flow, slope and exposed soil. A chosen fraction settles in a slower lower reach; the rest exits the table. This is a qualitative single-event model. Grain size, channel shape, flood timing and changing banks are not resolved, so the numbers are illustrative rather than field predictions.
Related resources
Related simulations
Related tools
Learn with River Erosion Table
River Erosion Table invites elementary students to change a river landscape and observe where sediment goes. Adjust the slope, water flow and vegetation cover, then run a fresh river event. The scene separates sediment left in the bank, sediment deposited in the lower reach and sediment carried beyond the table. Students seek particular erosion and deposition amounts while checking the conserved total. Comparing runs shows how steeper slopes and faster flows can increase transport, while plants reduce the amount removed from a bank.
What to look for
Watch the lower reach
Some eroded sediment settles here. Faster flow carries a larger share beyond the table.
Use plants
Vegetation reduces exposed soil and the amount eroded in this illustrative model.
For teachers and curious learners
Explain how flow, slope and vegetation affect erosion and the downstream partition of sediment. Ask students to predict what will happen, change one setting, and explain what they observe. Learn gives a starting point. Practice and Challenge offer new goals with the same scene.
A qualitative single-event model conserves 60 sediment units. Erosion scales with flow, slope and vegetation; a flow-dependent fraction deposits below. Grain size, channel geometry and changing banks are omitted.