Lecture 1: Formation of Soils from Parent Materials Flashcards
Lacustrine
Transported parent materials that were deposited in lakes
Alluvial (fluvial)
Transported parent materials that were deposited by streams
Marine
Transported parent materials that were deposited in oceans
Colluvial
Transported parent materials by gravity
Till, moraine
Transported parent materials that were deposited by ice
Outwash, Lacustrine, Alluvial, Marine
Transported parent materials that were deposited by water
Eolian
Transported parent materials that were deposited by wind
Regolith
Rotten rock
Ecosystem services provided by soils?
-Hosts biodiversity and microorganisms
-Major reservoir and filter for water
-Produces food, feed, fiber, biofuel, and medicinal products
-Recycling of nutrients and storage of carbon
Causes of soil degradation and loss?
Pollution, urbanization, overgrazing, erosion, salinization
5 “State Factors” to make a soil (Cl-O-R-P-T)
CLimate
Organisms
Relief
Parent Material
Time
CLimate (CLORPT)
mainly precipitation and temperature
Organisms (CLORPT)
biota (eg. native vegetation, microbes, soil animals, and humans)
Relief (CLORPT)
slope, aspect, and landscape position
Parent material (CLORPT)
geological or organic precursors to soil
Time (CLORPT)
period of time since parent materials began to undergo soil formation
Origin of igneous rocks
-molten materials
-intrusive: cool underground (eg. granite)
-extrusive: cool above ground, sometimes have air bubbles (eg. basalt)
Characteristics of igneous rocks
-no fossils
-fine texture=fast cooling process
-coarse texture/larger crystals=slower cooling process
-can be glassy or coarse
Origin of sedimentary rocks
pieces of pre existing rocks and/or pieces of organisms
Characteristics of sedimentary rocks
-forms in layers
-abundant fossils
Origin of metamorphic rocks
high heat or pressure
Characteristics of metamorphic rocks
-colorful stripes or bands that are sometimes wavy
-dark and/or light colors
