Soil Characteristics

Question 1

What is used to compare soil color?

Answer 1

Munsell Soil Color charts

Question 2

How many different color chips are in the Munsell Soil Color charts?

Answer 2

322

Question 3

What is the chroma?

Answer 3

Chip color’s relative purity or degree of vividness

Question 4

Soil color notation

Answer 4

Color Name (Munsell Notation: hue, value/chroma)

Question 5

What is porosity?

Answer 5

Amount and size of spaces between soil or rock particles

Question 6

What three materials have high porosity?

Answer 6

Sands, gravel, clay

Question 7

What is permeability?

Answer 7

Rate of water and air movement through soil or bedrock

Question 8

Permeability: very slow

Answer 8

less than 0.06 in/hr

Question 9

Permeability: slow

Answer 9

0.06–0.20 in/hr

Question 10

Permeability: moderately slow

Answer 10

0.20–0.6 in/hr

Question 11

Permeability: moderate

Answer 11

0.6–2.0 in/hr

Question 12

Permeability: moderately rapid

Answer 12

2.0–6.0 in/hr

Question 13

Permeability: rapid

Answer 13

6.0–20 in/hr

Question 14

Permeability: very rapid

Answer 14

more than 20 in/hr

Question 15

A healthy topsoil has what percent pore space?

Answer 15

50

Question 16

What pores are most vulnerable to compaction?

Answer 16

Macropores

Question 17

The loss of micropores lowers what of the soil?

Answer 17

Permeability and thus percolation