Chapter 12 - Weathering, Erosion, and Soil Resources Flashcards
What can be defined as Soil?
It can be defined as unconsolidated material overlying bedrock, or its given to those materials that are capable of supporting plant growth.
What does the term soil usually imply?
It implies little transportation of the material from where it was produced, unlike sediments.
What is known as mechanical weathering?
Also called physical weathering, is the physical breakup of rocks without changes in the rocks’ composition.
What is known as chemical weathering?
Involves the breakdown of minerals by chemical reaction with water, with other chemicals dissolved in water, or with gases in the air.
What is known as the O horizon?
it is part of the soil profile, consisting wholly of organic matter, whether living or decomposed.
What is known as the A horizon?
It is part of the soil profile directly under the O horizon, which consists of the most intensively weathered rock material.
What is known is as leaching?
it is when precipitation infiltrates down through the A horizon and below, this leads to water dissolving soluble minerals.
What is the E horizon?
The E horizon is the part of the soil profile, that lays below the A horizon, it is also known as the zone of leaching.
What is known as the B horizon?
It is where many of the mineral materials that leached or extracted from the E horizon accumulate below.
What is known as the C horizon?
It is the zone below the B horizon, which does not resemble our usual idea of soil, usually very coarsely broken-up bedrock.
What are pedalfer soils and where are they commonly found?
They are soils that have leached out soluble materials, leaving behind oxides and hydroxides, commonly found in more humid regions. These soils are acidic.
What are known pedocal soils?
It is the term used for soils of dry climates, the presence of calcium carbonate makes them alkaline.
What is a laterite?
It is the term used for more extreme cases of pedalfer soils, minerals like quartz might even be found eroded.
In what kind of water does calcite dissolve fastest?
Acidic water, the opposite is true for pure water.
What are silicates less susceptible to?
Chemical weathering
