Georgia Geology

Question 1

What is soil comprised of?

Answer 1

weathered minerals, organic matter, air, and water

Question 2

Ideally, what additional elements are in soil?

Answer 2

Microflora and microfauna (fungi, bacteria, and small animals)

Question 3

What soil has the finest sized particles?

Answer 3

Clay (<0.002 mm)

Question 4

What soil has the second smallest size particles?

Answer 4

Silt (0.002 mm - 0.05 mm)

Question 5

Silt transported by water creates what type of soil?

Answer 5

Alluvial soil

Question 6

Silt transported by wind creates what type of soil?

Answer 6

Loess soil

Question 7

What soil contains the largest particle size?

Answer 7

Sand (0.05 mm -2 mm)

Question 8

define ‘fines’

Answer 8

soil particles smaller than sand, these could include both silt and clay

Question 9

What size range is gravel?

Answer 9

2 mm - 3 inches (larger pieces are either cobble or boulders)

Question 10

What range is a neutral pH?

Answer 10

6.6-7.3

Question 11

What pH is an acidic soil? (acid)

Answer 11

below 6.5

Question 12

What pH is an alkaline soil?

Answer 12

above 7.4

Question 13

At what pH (both acidic and alkaline) will few plants survive?

Answer 13

less than 4.0 (acidic) and more than 8.5 (alkaline)

Question 14

How do you raise low acidic soil pH levels?

Answer 14

add lime

Question 15

How do you lower high alkaline soil pH levels?

Answer 15

add sulfur or sulfuric acid

Question 16

soil association vs soil series

Answer 16

soil association is a landscape that has a distinctive proportional pattern of soils, consist of one or more major soils and at least one minor soil. Soil series are groups of soil that have profiles that are almost alike, differing in surface layer texture or underlying material; named for town or geographic feature near first soil observation.

Question 17

What is a geologic map?

Answer 17

map that indicates the rock types underlying an area

Question 18

How are geologic areas described and analyzed on a geologic map?

Answer 18

geologic areas are often described and analyzed in terms of the extent of soil cover overlying the rock and general physical properties of the soil cover and rock.

Question 19

What is a physiographic section?

Answer 19

these sections represent the major geological regions of the state.

Question 20

Erosion definition

Answer 20

process by which soil and rock are worn away by the action of wind, water, ice, or gravity

Question 21

What is the most damaging action that causes erosion?

Answer 21

water

Question 22

What soils are the most erodible? The least?

Answer 22

fine sand and silt are the most erodible, clay soils are least erodible

Question 23

How does vegetation aid in E&S control?

Answer 23

vegetation can absorb energy of rain drops, bind soil particles, slow velocity of runoff water, increase the ability of soil to absorb, remove subsurface water between rainfalls.

Question 24

What rock materials are clay evolved from?

Answer 24

feldspar and mica

Question 25

What rock minerals so silt come from?

Answer 25

silica or feldspar

Question 26

What mineral is sand comprised of?

Answer 26

any mineral, but mostly quartz

Question 27

what are the US Dept of Agriculture 6 soil types?

Answer 27

Sand, Sandy Loam, Loam, Silt Loam, Clay Loam, Clay