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College Geology > Lesson 5 - Weathering,soil, & Mass Wasting > Flashcards

Lesson 5 - Weathering,soil, & Mass Wasting Flashcards

1
Q

What are earths three external process?

A

Weathering
Mass wasting
Erosion

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2
Q

What is the disintegration and decomposition of material at or near the surface?

A

Weathering

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3
Q

What is the transfer of rock material downslope under the influence of gravity?

A

Mass wasting

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4
Q

What is the incorporation and transportation of material by a mobile agent , usually water, wind, or ice?

A

Erosion

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5
Q

What are the two kinds of weathering?

A

Mechanical

Chemical

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6
Q

What is mechanical weathering?

A

Breaking rocks into smaller pieces?

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7
Q

What is chemical weathering?

A

Altering the internal structures of minerals by removing or adding elements

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8
Q

What are the four processes of mechanical weathering?

A

Frost wedging
Unloading
Biological activity

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9
Q

What is the most important agent in chemical weathering?

A

Water

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10
Q

(Chemical weathering) what does the oxygen dissolved in water do?

A

Oxidizes material

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11
Q

(Chemical weathering) What does carbon dioxide dissolved in water do?

A

Forms carbonic acid and alters the material

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12
Q

What does the weathering of potassium feldspars produce?

A

Clay materials
Soluble salt (potassium bicarbonate)
Silica in solutions

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13
Q

What remains substantially unaltered during the chemical weathering of granite?

A

Quartz

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14
Q

What is produced when silicate materials are weathered?

A

Soluble sodium, calcium, potassium, and magnesium products

Insoluble iron

Clay materials

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15
Q

How can chemical weathering also produce physical changes?

A

Spheroidal weathering

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16
Q

How does mechanical weathering aid chemical weathering ?

A

By increasing the surface area

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17
Q

What are important factors of weathering rates?

A

Rock characteristics

Climate

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18
Q

What two rock characteristics are factors in the rate of weathering?

A

Mineral composition and solubility

Physical features

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19
Q

What mineral composition dissolved in weakly acidic solutions?

A

Marble (calcite)

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20
Q

In what order do silicate minerals weather in?

A

The order of their crystallization

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21
Q

What physical features example os a factor of weathering rate?

A

Joints

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22
Q

What are the two most crucial factors of climate that influence the rate of weathering?

A

Temperature

Moisture

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23
Q

What climate is chemical weathering most effective?

A

Warm temperatures

Abundant moisture

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24
Q

What is differential weathering caused by?

A

Variations in compositions

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25
Q

What is created by differential weathering?

A

Unusual and spectacular rock formations and landforms

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26
Q

Freeze wedging is caused by the repeated freeze-thaw.

A

Frost wedging

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27
Q

The removal of great weights of rock or ice that lie on the surface. This may happen through rising temperatures that melt ice sheets; erosion by wind, water or ice; or tectonic uplift.

A

Unloading weathering

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28
Q

The weakening and subsequent disintegration of rock by plants, animals and microbes. Growing plant roots can exert stress or pressure on rock

A

Biological activity weathering

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29
Q

What occurs in the most well-consolidated, lithified, and highly competent rocks, such as sandstone, limestone, quartzite, and granite

A

Joint

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30
Q

A fracture dividing rock into two sections that moved away from each other.

A

Joint

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31
Q

A characteristic weathering form in massive rocks, granite, dolerite, basalt, and even some sedimentary types such as silicified sandstones, results in the production of spheroidal boulders of unweathered rock, around which are to be observed layers or flakes of disintegrated material.

A

Spheroidal weathering

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32
Q

What is an interface in the earth system?

A

Soil

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33
Q

What combines to make soil?

A

Mineral matter
Water
Air

34
Q

What is rock and mineral fragments called?

35
Q

What portion of soil supports the growth of plants?

36
Q

What does the texture of souls refer to?

A

Proportions of different particle sizes

37
Q

What are the parts of soil textures and how large are they?

A

Sand (large)
Silt
Clay (small)

38
Q

What particle in soil has the best texture suited for plant life?

39
Q

How does soil get its structure?

A

Soil particles clump together

40
Q

What are the four soil structures?

A

Platt
Prismatic
Blocky
Spheroidal

41
Q

What are the 5 most important factors that control soil formation?

A 
Parent material
Time
Climate
Plants and animals
Slope
42
Q

When parent material is the bedrock?

A

residual soil

43
Q

When parent material has been carried form elsewhere and deposited?

A

Transported soil

44
Q

What is important in all geologic processes ?

45
Q

How does the time relate to different soils evolving?

A

The time to evolve varies on different soils

46
Q

What furnishes organic matter to soil?

A

Plants and animals

47
Q

What influence does organisms have on soil?

A

They influence soils physical and chemical properties

48
Q

What kind of soil do steep slopes have ?

A

Poorly developed soils

49
Q

What is a flat to undulating upland surface?

A

Optimum (angle)

50
Q

What is orientation?

A

Direction the slope is facing

51
Q

What two things does the orientation of soil influence?

A

Soil temperature

Soil moisture

52
Q

How do the soil forming processes operate?

A

Surface downward

53
Q

What do soil scientists call zones or layers of soil?

54
Q

What is The composition of O horizons?

A

Organic matter

55
Q

What is The composition of A horizons?

A

Organic and mineral matter

56
Q

What is The composition of E horizons?

A

Little organic matter

57
Q

What is The composition of B horizons?

A

Zone of accumulation

58
Q

What is The composition of C horizons?

A

Partially altered parent material

59
Q

What is the name of O and A horizons together?

60
Q

What layers are topsoil?

61
Q

What is the name of horizons O, A, E, B together

A

Solum

“True Soil”

62
Q

What horizons are in solum or “true soil”

A

O, A, E, B

63
Q

True or false: there are hundreds of soil types worldwide.

64
Q

What about re the three very generic soil types?

A

Pedalfer
Pedocal
Laterite

65
Q

What soil type has an accumulation of iron oxides and Al-rich clays in the B horizon?

66
Q

What soil type is in hot, wet, tropical climates?

67
Q

What soil type is best developed under forest vegetation?

68
Q

What soil type is associated with drier grasslands?

69
Q

What soil type has intense chemical weathering?

70
Q

What soil type accumulates calcium carbonate?

71
Q

Thin, flat plates of soil usually found in compacted soil?

72
Q

Vertical columns of soil that might be a number of cm long usually doing in lower horizons?

73
Q

Irregular blocks

74
Q

Consists of circular peds or granules that are usually separated from each other in a loosely packed arrangement.

75
Q

What is the recycling of earths materials?

A

Soil erosion

76
Q

What does natural rates of erosion depend on? (4)

A

Soil characteristics
Climate
Slope
Type of vegetation

77
Q

What two things can soil erosion and sedimentation cause?

A

Reservoirs to fill with sediment

Contamination by pesticides and fertilizers

78
Q

What is the process of weathering creating ore deposits?

A

Secondary enrichment

79
Q

What is secondary enrichment?

A

Concentrated metals into economical deposits

80
Q

Secondary enrichment can take place by removing ________ from _______, which leaves the _____ behind

A

Undesired material
Decomposing rock
Desired elements

81
Q

Secondary enrichment can take place from the _______ being carried to _____________ and deposited

A

Desired elements

Lower zones

82
Q

What are two examples of secondary enrichment?

A

Bauxite (principle ore of aluminum)

Any copper and silver deposits

College Geology (14 decks)

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