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Description
Flashcards by jillian.gaines.j, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by jillian.gaines.j
over 8 years ago
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| Question | Answer |
| Define weathering | The mechanical and chemical processes that change objects on earth’s surface over time. Broken down |
| Define Chemical Weathering | Physical processes naturally break rocks into smaller pieces. |
| Define Mechanical Weathering | The materials that are part of a rock into new materials. |
| What are 3 examples of mechanical weathering? | Ice wedging Plants Abrasion |
| What are 3 examples of chemical weathering? | Oxidation (rust) Plant acids Acid rain |
| Define Soil | A mixture of weathered rock, rock fragments, decayed organic matter, water, and air. |
| What effects weathering rates? | Mechanical happens fastest: Location that have frequent temperature changes. (Iowa) Chemical happens fastest: Warm, wet places |
| What effects minerals weathering rates? | Mineral composition: Softest mineral weathers fastest Size and number of holes: Affect the rate at which a rock weathers (breaks down). More holes and big holes= more weathering |
| What are pores and why are they important? | Small holes and spaces water flows through -water dissolves nutrients and carry them through the soil -water helps break down (weather) material |
| Define Decomposition | The process of changing once-living material into dark-colored organic matter (humus- decaying matter). |
| What are the 5 factors of soil formation? | Parent material, climate, topography, biota, and time |
| Define Parent Material | ROCKS Some rocks break down (weather) faster than others. The starting material of soil. |
| Define Climate | The average weather of an area Changing climate= more mechanical weathering Warm, wet climate= more chemical weathering |
| Define Topography | The shape and steepness of the landscape Water carries water/nutrients downhill |
| Define Biota | All of the organisms that live in a region More biota= faster formation of soil More biota= more humus (good thing) |
| Define Time | Weathering is constantly acting on a rock and sediment More time= more movement of soil (bad thing) More time = more time to form soil (good thing) |
| What is in Horizon A? | Organic matter from the decay of roots and the action of soil organisms make a good place for planting. The soil is darker because the A-horizon contains most of the organic matter in the soil. Nutrients and organic material is found here. |
| What is in Horizon B? | The pores form the A-horizon cause snow and rain to seep down in the B-horizon and create clay particles. Other materials are also created in this horizon. Lighter in color, some nutrients gets here through the process of LEACHING |
| What is in Horizon C? | Parent material can be rock or sediments |
| Define Leaching | To have liquid drained away from soil |
| What sort of Soil does Iowa have? | Dark and rich in humus |
| How does the amount of vegetation affect the soil profile? | The more and better vegetation, the richer and darker soil. More vegetation=more organic matter (humus)= Horizon A is bigger |
| How does the parent material affect the soil profile? | The parent material has rocks, so it keeps the soil up. Sedimentary rocks tend to break down more easily. |
| What are 4 soil properties that can be observed or measured? | pH, color, texture, temperature, consistency, and depth of horizon |
| How are soil nutrients related to life? | More nutrients more life |
| What are the effects of soil erosion? | Agricultural Cultivation- Farming in areas with steep hills or against the contours of the land. Forest Harvesting- exposes topsoil to the elements which makes it easily eroded/moved. Overgrazing- animals are allowed to graze to the point that nothing covers the topsoil, thus nothing is holding the topsoil in place. Excess Sediments- Strip mines or construction sites where eroded soil is moved to a new location, usually by water; streams can fill in. |
| What are some prevention methods? | Managing crops- No till farming and proper grazing Reduce Erosion on slopes- Contour farming and Terracing Others- Spraying bare soil with water at construction sites to hold the soil in place, Planting trees to hold the soil in place with their root systems, Controlling water flow at strip mines, reclamation of land, and Using straw and silt fences to hold soil in place. |
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