Education:Science Projects: Moving Glacier
Glaciers are huge blocks of ice that can scrape
away rocks and soil to form lake basins. They form when snow
piles up so much that it compresses into a solid mass of ice.
With each new snowfall, the increased weight forces the edges
of the glacier outward. Make this miniature glacier and see
it in action for yourself!
What you need
- a large mixing bowl
- one pound of cornstarch
- 1 cup of water
- a large mixing spoon
- waxed paper
- small amounts of gravel, sand, or soil
What you do
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 Step 5. |
1. Mix
all the cornstarch with 1 cup of water in the bowl. It's
ready when it jiggles a little and forms into a ball in
your hands, but it spreads out on a flat surface.
2.
Cover a flat surface with waxed paper. Place a large spoonful
of the cornstarch mixture in the center of the paper.
What does it do? How does it move?
3.
Put another dollop of cornstarch mixture on top of the
other one. This represents a new snowfall. How does it
affect your glacier?
4.
Sprinkle a one-inch-wide band of sand, soil, and gravel
in a circle around the outside edge of the glacier (on
the waxed paper).
5.
Sprinkle a little soil on top of the glacier. This represents
rocks that the glacier has picked up.
6.
One at a time, keep adding dollops of the cornstarch mixture
to the center of the glacier. How far does the edge move
each time? What happens when the glacier reaches the band
of sand-soil-gravel? Stop adding "new snow" when the glacier
is a few inches from the edge of the waxed paper. How
thick is the glacier in the center? At the edges? How
far did it end up from where it began?
7.
Lay another piece of waxed paper over the top of the glacier
and flip it over to see the bottom. How did the glacier
move the rocks and soil?
