Soil Layers Rock Layers and Minerals Flashcards

1
Q

Rock layers are also called

A

strata

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2
Q

The Grand Canyon was formed in what era?

A

Cenozoic

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3
Q

A soil is composed of __% ____ _____

A

45% mineral matter

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4
Q

A soil scientist is called a

A

pedologist

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5
Q

The original mineral complex from which a soil is formed is called the soil’s

A

parent material

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6
Q

The amount and availability to plants of elements necessary for plant growth is called?

A

Fertility

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7
Q

In aquatic environments, lithification is preceded by

A

sedimentation

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8
Q

What is the descending order of the soil horizons?

A

O, A, E, B, C, R

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9
Q

The O Horizon consists of

A

The top, organic layer of soil, made up mostly of leaf litter and humus.

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10
Q

The A Horizon consists of

A

The topsoil, a dark layer where seeds germinate and plant roots grow. It is made up of humus mixed with mineral particles.

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11
Q

What is humus? NOT THE FOOD ITEM. That’s hummus. Note the second “m”. I would not recommend eating humus - it would taste like dirt. Hummus on the other hand, is fucking delicious.

A

Humus is decomposed organic matter. That’s why it would taste like dirt.

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12
Q

The E Horizon consists of

A

A light layer made up mostly of sand and silt, having lost most of its minerals and clay due to eluviation.

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13
Q

What is eluviation?

A

The transport of soil material from upper layers of soil to lower levels by downward precipitation of water across soil horizons.

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14
Q

The product of illuviation is?

A

An iluvial deposit

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15
Q

What is illuviation?

A

The accumulation of a material that is being transported downward.

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16
Q

The B Horizon consists of

A

The subsoil, which contains clay and mineral deposits that it receives from layers above it via eluviation.

17
Q

What mineral deposits does the B Horizon primarily consist of?

A

Iron, aluminum oxides, and calcium carbonate

18
Q

The C Horizon consists of

A

The regolith: slightly broken-up bedrock. Plant roots do not penetrate into this layer; very little organic material is found in this layer.

19
Q

The R Horizon consists of

A

Bedrock: the unweathered rock layer beneath all other layer.

20
Q

How many orders of soil are there in soil taxonomy? Can you name them all?

A

12: Alfisols, Aridisols, Entisols, Histosols, Inceptisols, Mollisols, Oxisols, Spodosols, Ultisols, Gelisols, Andisols, and Vertisols.

21
Q

Gelisols are

A

Soils with permafrost within 2 m of the surface

22
Q

Histosols are

A

Organic soils

23
Q

Spodosols are

A

Acid forest soils with a subsurface accumulation of metal-humus complexes

24
Q

Andisols are

A

Soils formed in volcanic ash

25
Q

Oxisols are

A

Intensely weathered soils of tropical and subtropical environments

26
Q

Vertisols are

A

Clayey soils with high shrink/swell capacity

27
Q

Aridisols are

A

Calcium carbonate-containing soils of arid environments with subsurface horizon development

28
Q

Ultisols are

A

Strongly leached soils with a subsurface zone of clay accumulation and

29
Q

Mollisols are

A

Grassland soils with high base status

30
Q

Alfisols are

A

Moderately leached soils with a subsurface zone of clay accumulation and >35% base saturation

31
Q

Inceptisols are

A

Soils with weakly developed subsurface horizons

32
Q

Entisols are

A

Soils with little or no morphological development

33
Q

Plimsols are

A

A type of shoe