Apes SOIL Flashcards
What is physical weathering?
The mechanical breakdown of rock through wind, water, temperature, or biological components. Increases surface area for more weathering.
Examples of physical weathering
Water freezing in cracks of rocks
Expanding and contracting minerals from temperature
Burrowing animals
Plant roots
Chemical weathering
The breakdown of rocks and minerals by chemical reactions, dissolving of chemical elements from rocks, or both. Occurs on newly exposed (primary) minerals.
What primary minerals is found in granite rock
feldspar
What does chemical weathering do?
Alters the primary minerals to form a secondary mineral and ionic forms of their constituent chemical element
What happens when feldspar is exposed to natural acids in rain?
Forms clay particles as a secondary mineral, and releases ions such as potassium.
Examples of chemical weathering
Natural acids in rains reacting with minerals
Lichens producing weak acids (soft gravestones, masonry)
Acid precipitation, or acid rain
Which rocks weather quickly?
Rocks with compounds that dissolve easily , such as calcium carbonate (found in limestone). EX: carbonic acid in water from vaporized carbon dioxide dissolves limestone when it’s cracks.
What is acid precipitation or acid rain from
Humans release sulfer from fossil fuel combustion + 02= sulfer dioxide = sulfuric acid. Similar emissions of nitrous oxide and water vapor form nitric acid. Leads to high concentrations of these acid, and are responsible for rapid degradation of many old statues, gravestones, limestone an dmarble structures.
What is erosion
physical removal of rock fragments from landscape/ecosystem, which accumulates in are of deposition.
Examples of soil erosion
winter, water and ice move soil down the slope with gravity
animals burrow under soil
Deforestation, overgrazing, unmanaged construction activity and road building.
Cations are
positively charged mineral ions. Can be used as nutrients by the plants.
Parent Material
original rocks that were broken down to form the basis of the soil
Soil is formed when….
Parent Material is weathered, transported and deposited, with the accumulation of organic matter.
Factor in soil formation (PARENT MATERIAL)
Soil tends to retain basic properties of these rock
Factor is soil formation (CLIMATE)
Average temperature and moisture change rate of weathering and leaching (nutrients in water), wind redistribution as well.
Factor in soil formation (TOPOGRAPHY)
Slope of land may affect erosion
Factor in soil formation (ORGANISMS - Bioloigical)
Plants, animals, microrganisms
Time
Soil formation is continuous, there is no end.
What is a soil profile?
The soil horizons built over time (common layers)
O Horizon
Organic Matter
A Horizon
(Surface Horizon) - lots of humus and organic material.
B Horizon
(Subsoil) mix of rock and organic material.
C Horizon
Substrata - mostly parent material
Order of particle size in soil, largest to smallest
Sand (2 to 0.05mm) , Silt ( 0.05mm to 0.002mm), caly (less than 0.002mm)
Large particle size permeability?
(sand) allow water to pass through quickly
Smaller particle size permeability?
(clay) doesn’t allow water pass through easily
What determines soil type?
The percentage of sand, silt, and clay using a soil triangle.
Loam is
A combination of sand, silt, and clay.
Percolation and infiltration can be determined by
Percentage of sand, silt, and clay
Percolation
Movement of water into ground
Define percolation
movement of water into ground
Define infiltration
movement of ions or chemicals through percolation
What is soil composition?
The percentage of sand, silt, and clay.
