Weathering and Soil Science Flashcards
Physical Weathering
The mechanical breakdown of rocks and materials
Chemical Weathering
The breakdown of rocks and minerals by chemical reactions, the dissolving of chemical elements from rocks, or both.
Acid Precipitation
Precipitation is high sulfuric acid and nitric acid from reactions between water vapor and sulfur and nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere. Also known as Acid Rain
Erosion
The physical removal of rock fragments from a landscape or ecosystem
Parent Material
The rock material from which the inorganic components of a soil are derived.
Horizon
A horizontal layer in a soil defined by distinctive physical features such as texture and color
O Horizon
The organic horizon at the surface of many soils, composed of organic detritus in various stages of decomposition
A Horizon
Frequently the top layer of soil, a zone of organic material and minerals that have been mixed together. Also known as Topsoil
E Horizon
A zone of leaching found in some acidic soils under the O Horizon or, less often, the A Horizon
B Horizon
A soil horizon composed primarily of mineral material with very little organic matter
C Horizon
The least-weathered soil horizon, which always occurs beneath the B Horizon and is similar to the parent material
Five factors that simultaneously determine the properties of soil
parent material, climate, topography, organisms, and time
Soil Degradation
The loss of some or all of a soil’s ability to support plant growth
