soil and weathering test Flashcards

1
Q

Weathering

A

changes in rock material exposed at surface

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2
Q

mechanical weathering

A

physically changing rock into smaller pieces without changing its composition

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3
Q

Chemical weathering

A

breakdown of rock by changing its chemical composition

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4
Q

types of mechanical weathering

A

exfoliation, ice wedging, biological activity, abrasion

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5
Q

exfoliation

A

process where sheets of rock peel or flake away

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6
Q

ice wedging or Frost wedging

A

occurs when water seeps into rocks in freezes

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7
Q

biological activity

A

The activity of organisms that weather away rock

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8
Q

abrasion

A

collision of rock with one resulting in breaking and wearing away

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9
Q

types of chemical weathering

A

hydrolysis, carbonation, oxidation, acid precipitation, plant acids

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10
Q

hydrolysis

A

change in composition of minerals when they react with water

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11
Q

carbonation

A

when some minerals come in contact with carbonic acid they form a new product

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12
Q

oxidation

A

when metallic elements combine with oxygen – rust is one result of oxidation

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13
Q

acid precipitation

A

reacts with minerals

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14
Q

plant acids

A

plants secrete acids that you rode away the rock

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15
Q

rate of weathering depends on four things

A

Rock composition, and now of exposure, climate, topography

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16
Q

Rock composition

A

igneous and metamorphic rocks don’t weather easily sedimentary rocks do

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17
Q

amount of exposure

A

more exposure receives the faster it will weather

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18
Q

climate

A

slow and very hot/very cold climates but fairly rapid and warm, humid climates

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19
Q

topography

A

elevation or slope of surface where rock is located

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20
Q

regolith

A

A layer of weathered rock fragments that covers much of the earth surface

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21
Q

soil

A

part of the regolith that thatsupports plant growth – complex mixture of minerals, water, gases, and remains of plants and animals

essential to life on earth for growth

except for some steep mountain slopes and extremely cold regions, soil is found almost everywhere on earth surface

22
Q

soil composition has four major components

A

mineral matter, organic matter/humanness, water, air

23
Q

humus

A

dark organic material and remains of animals and plants

24
Q

soil texture

A

Texter refers to the proportions of different particle sizes

25
Q

particle sizes

A

Sand/large size – silt – Clay/small size – loan/a mixture of all three sizes and best suited for plant life

26
Q

factors in soil formation

A

Parent material, time, climate, organisms, slope

27
Q

Parent material

A

source of the mineral matter in soil

28
Q

Time

A

The longer the soil has been forming the thicker if becomes

29
Q

climate

A

greatest effect on soil formation and warmer temperatures equals faster soil formation but too hot can slow it down again

30
Q

organisms

A

furnish organic matter to soil and plants are the main source

31
Q

slope

A

steep slopes often have poorly developed soil’s

32
Q

soil profile

A

A cross-section in which the layers of the soil in bed rock can be seen

each layer is called a horizon

33
Q

in fully developed residue soil…

A

there are multiple horizons

soil that’s formed in place

34
Q

horizons

A

o horizon/organic, thin, contains humus

A horizon/topsoil,mixture of decaying organic matter and small rock particles

B horizon/subsoil, contains minerals and Clay

C horizon/regolith, partially weathered bed rock

bed rock/parent material, solid, on whether to rock that lies beneath regolith

35
Q

tropical( wet and warm ) climate

A

forms laterites ( thick and infertile soil )

36
Q

dessert/dry climate

A

form saw whales from mechanical weathering – soil is thin and mostly regolith

37
Q

temperate climates

A

temps range from cold to warm

38
Q

two types of soil that are found depending on amount of rainfall

A

pedalfer and pedocal

39
Q

pedalfer

A

soil form if an area receive 65 cm or more of rain per year

found in places east of the Mississippi

40
Q

Pedocal

A

soil formed of rainfall is less than 65 cm a year

41
Q

soil erosion

A

erosion is the process by which the products of weathering are transported

occurs worldwide
slow process
New soil forms about as fast as the existing soil erodes

42
Q

agents of erosion

A

gravity, windy, glaciers, precipitation, ocean waves, currents, streams, groundwater

43
Q

unwise use of the land leads to

A

climatic conditions upset natural balance

44
Q

deposition

A

process by which sediment are dropped in a new location – occurs after erosion

45
Q

mass movement

A

The downward movement of rock, regolith and soil due to gravity

46
Q

mass movement is triggered by (as is all types of soil erosion)

A

saturated surfaces/excess water , steepness of the slopes, removal of vegetation, earthquake

47
Q

rockfall

A

The fall of rock from a steep cliff – most rapid

48
Q

landslide

A

sudden movement of masses of a loose rock and soil down the slope of the hill

49
Q

slump

A

downhill movement of a large block of soil under the influence of gravity

50
Q

mudflow

A

The rapid movement of a large mass of mud

51
Q

creep

A

extremely slow downhill movement of unweathered rock material

52
Q

weathering/erosion of mountains

A

weathering and erosion wear down rugged peaks to rounded peaks and gentle slopes