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SOIL Flashcards

(61 cards)

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1
Q

weathering

A

The processes by which rocks are chemically altered or physically broken into fragments as a result of exposure to atmospheric agents and the pressures & temperatures at or near the Earth’s surface, with little or no transportation of the loosened or altered materials.

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2
Q

mechanical or physical weathering

A

the breakdown or disintegration of rocks into smaller fragments by physical processes
with no chemical alteration

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3
Q

by-products of weathering

A

regolith and parent material

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4
Q

regolith

A

the partially weathered rock below the surface which overlays the bedrock
may in time become parent material, soil, or exposed at the surface

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5
Q

parent material

A

unconsolidated material, from organic and mineral sources, that is basis of soil development/ formation

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6
Q

soil

A

the fine material covering Earth’s surface composed of both mineral and organic matter; dirt

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7
Q

weathering provides the _________ for soil formation and development

A

raw materials (parent material)

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8
Q

soil profile

A

the array of soil layers; their sequence from top (surface) to bottom (bedrock)

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9
Q

soil horizon

A

a distinct layer of soil within the soil profile

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10
Q

soil properties

A 
color
texture (clay, sand, silt)
structure
consistence (cohesion)
porosity
moisture
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11
Q

soil formation

A

an on-going process of renewable resource, but not an inexhaustible resource

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12
Q

minerals

A

elements or compounds with a crystalline structure; the building blocks of rocks; found in all soils

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13
Q

organic matter

A

that part originally from living matter, decaying matter of plants, animals, and their waste products

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14
Q

water

A

fills the spaces in the soil or forms a thin film around particles

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15
Q

air

A

also fills pour spaces

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16
Q

parent material

A

the type of rock and minerals the soil was formed

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17
Q

residual soil

A

made from underlying rock

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18
Q

transported soil

A

made from material not found in underlying rock

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19
Q

climate

A

if temp and prec (moisture) differ, will yield diff soils, even from same parent material

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20
Q

biological agents

A

decomposers, microorganisms, bacteria, fungi, type of hummus or organic matter

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21
Q

topography

A

flat vs steep slopes; windward vs leeward slopes; sun exposure

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22
Q

time

A

for a given place, more time means more complete development & increased thickness of soil

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23
Q

Soils develop layers or horizons, often quite distinct, by 4 processes

A

addition, transformation, depletion, translocation

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24
Q

addition

A

grains of soil made by adding material to the soil already in place; adding organic matter

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25
transformation
weathering of rock, minerals, & soil particles already present; physically or chemically changing them
26
depletion
particles are carried out of an area and downward thru soil by percolating water, to an area below
27
translocation
deposition of particles in a lower area from an area above
28
SO, Soils develop Soil Profiles or a particular sequence of soil layers or ________
horizons
29
'O' horizon
organic horizon, consisting entirely of organic material; the top layer where it exists; by addition
30
'A' horizon
upper most layer developed from parent material; colored dark by organic material from above; by transformation
31
'E' horizon
lighter colored layer just below the 'A' horizon, created by depletion downward of certain soil particles
32
'B' horizon
created by translocation of particles from the 'A' & 'E' horizons above; this layer takes the most time to develop
33
'C' horizon
where the parent material is transformed by weathering into soil particles to become future soil; by transformation
34
'R' horizon
where solid rock (bedrock) is first affected by weather; a mixture of large pieces of rock and future soil
35
solum
the ‘A’, ‘E’, and ‘B’ horizons; those layers in which plant roots are most active sol: used as a suffix in soil classification
36
pedon
column of soil, extending from the ‘O’ horizon into the ‘C’ horizon ped: naturally occurring “clump” of soil
37
soil texture
size of the particles in the soil | an indication of the soils compactness & amount of pore space
38
sand measurement
2 - .05 mm
39
silt measurement
.05 - .002 mm
40
clay measurement
< .002 mm
41
loam
a term used to describe a soil, similar to a clay or sand, but based on the percent of sand, silt, & clay and NOT on particle size
42
field capacity sand= clay=
ability of a soil to hold water against the downward pull of gravity Sand=low field capacity Clay=high field capacity
43
soil structure
the type or arrangement of a soils' peds; also plays a role in determing a soils field capacity
44
platy
layered peds, like flakes, stacked horizontally
45
prismatic
peds arranged in columns
46
blocky or angular
straight sided, irregularly shaped peds
47
Spheroidal or Granular
small, rounded shaped peds
48
soil color
can be used to indicate the organic content and fertility of a soil, and/or type of minerals and elements that are in the soil EX: dark brown to black soils == high organic content Red or orangish soils == high Fe and/or Al oxide content
49
soil taxonomy
12 Orders 53 Suborders 230 Great Groups
50
entisols
soils of recent origin
51
inceptisols
show the beginnings of a weakly developed 'B' horizon
52
vertisols
clay-rich soils which swell or shrink with moisture
53
andisols
developed from volcanic ash
54
histosols
water-saturated organic soils as found in swamps
55
aridisols
dry soils found in most desert areas; salinization common
56
mollisols
grassland soils of high agricultural value, such as under the Great Plains (US); thick ‘O’ horizon
57
alfisols
moderately weathered deciduous forest soils; moist, highly mineral-rich soils
58
spodosols
soils of coniferous (needle-leaf evergreen, pine) forests; highly acidic soils
59
ultisols
warm, wet climate soils with a high clay content in the ‘B’ horizon, as found in the SE US
60
oxisols
tropical areas with high rainfall; tropical rainforests; rich in FE & AL oxides; subject to laterization
61
gelisols
cold & frozen soils subject to crytoturbation (frost churning); found in high latitudes & elevations

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