SOIL Flashcards
mixture of minerals, organic matter, water, and air
SOIL
layer of rock fragments produced by weathering
Regolith
type of soil found on the moon’s surface
Lunar Regolith/Lunar soil
study of physical and chemical properties of soil and its formation
PEDOLOGY
5 controls of soil formation
- Parent Material
- Time
- Climate
- Organisms
- Topography
source of weathered mineral matter from which soils develop
Parent Material
strongly influences weathering by the length of time that processes have been operating
Time
climate elements that exert the strongest impact on soil formation
Climate
types and abundances that influence physical and chemical properties of soil
Organisms
variations that lead to the development of a variety of localized soil types
Topography
zones of soil with varying composition, texture, and structure found at different depths
Horizons
vertical section of all the soil horizons
Soil profile
washing out of fine soil components
Eluviation
depletion of soluble materials from upper horizons
Leaching
Constitutes O and A horizons
TOPSOIL
Largely organic material
O HORIZONS
- Largely mineral matter
- High biological activity
- Humus generally present at up to 30%
A Horizon
- Light-colored
- Zone of eluviation and leaching
- Contains little organic material
E HORIZON
- Zone of accumulation
- Material from E horizon is deposited and accumulated here
B HORIZON/SUBSOIL
- True soil constituting O, A, E, and B horizon
SOLUM
- Layer of partially altered parent material
C HORIZON
Unweathered parent material
R HORIZON
soil classification based on physical and chemical properties of soil profile
SOIL TAXONOMY
SEQUENCE OF SOIL PROFILE
O, A, E, B, C, R
