Soil Layers Rock Layers and Minerals

Question 1

Rock layers are also called

Answer 1

strata

Question 2

The Grand Canyon was formed in what era?

Answer 2

Cenozoic

Question 3

A soil is composed of __% ____ _____

Answer 3

45% mineral matter

Question 4

A soil scientist is called a

Answer 4

pedologist

Question 5

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

Answer 5

parent material

Question 6

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

Answer 6

Fertility

Question 7

In aquatic environments, lithification is preceded by

Answer 7

sedimentation

Question 8

What is the descending order of the soil horizons?

Answer 8

O, A, E, B, C, R

Question 9

The O Horizon consists of

Answer 9

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

Question 10

The A Horizon consists of

Answer 10

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

Question 11

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.

Answer 11

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

Question 12

The E Horizon consists of

Answer 12

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

Question 13

What is eluviation?

Answer 13

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

Question 14

The product of illuviation is?

Answer 14

An iluvial deposit

Question 15

What is illuviation?

Answer 15

The accumulation of a material that is being transported downward.

Question 16

The B Horizon consists of

Answer 16

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

Question 17

What mineral deposits does the B Horizon primarily consist of?

Answer 17

Iron, aluminum oxides, and calcium carbonate

Question 18

The C Horizon consists of

Answer 18

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

Question 19

The R Horizon consists of

Answer 19

Bedrock: the unweathered rock layer beneath all other layer.

Question 20

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

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Gelisols are

Answer 21

Soils with permafrost within 2 m of the surface

Question 22

Histosols are

Answer 22

Organic soils

Question 23

Spodosols are

Answer 23

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

Question 24

Andisols are

Answer 24

Soils formed in volcanic ash

Question 25

Oxisols are

Answer 25

Intensely weathered soils of tropical and subtropical environments

Question 26

Vertisols are

Answer 26

Clayey soils with high shrink/swell capacity

Question 27

Aridisols are

Answer 27

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

Question 28

Ultisols are

Answer 28

Strongly leached soils with a subsurface zone of clay accumulation and

Question 29

Mollisols are

Answer 29

Grassland soils with high base status

Question 30

Alfisols are

Answer 30

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

Question 31

Inceptisols are

Answer 31

Soils with weakly developed subsurface horizons

Question 32

Entisols are

Answer 32

Soils with little or no morphological development

Question 33

Plimsols are

Answer 33

A type of shoe