Still another type of soil erosion is caused by splashing. Certainly you have noticed that exterior walls of buildings have stains near the ground. Where there is concrete (or
other pavement) next to the building, the staining is caused by dirt splashing up during rainfalls. Where the building is surrounded by plants, there is soil at the bottom of the walls, and when the rain splashes up, some of the soil is eroded and adheres to the walls.

Since almost everything else in the world can be measured, we should be able to measure splashes in a rainstorm.

Make several splashboards out of shingles or similar boards which are pointed at one end. Fasten a sheet of graph paper to the side of each splash board. (A covering over the top of the splashboard will keep the graph paper from being hit directly by rain drops.)

When the weather forecast calls for rain, or when Grandmother says her bones hurt and she thinks it will rain soon, install the splashboards in several locations (e.g., under trees, on lawns, on bare paths) by driving the pointed ends into the soil. Make sure that the bottom of the graph paper is almost touching the surface of the ground.

After the rain (and after Grandmother's bones feel better), measure the height to which the soil splashed up on the splashboards in the different locations.

You can judge which surface seems best for protecting the soil from being carried away (eroded) in this manner by raindrops.