Ch.3- Soils

Question 1

Soil - agricultural

Answer 1

surface layer of earth that is capable of supporting rooted plant life, where the lower limit coincides with lower limit of biological activity (usually only extends a few meters below the surface)

Question 2

Soil - engineering

Answer 2

all unconsolidated earthy materials that overlie bedrock

Question 3

What is one of the problems with the engineering definition of soil?

Answer 3

It is considered anything soft enough that you don’t need to blast, or things that you can easily shovel – this classifies weaker rocks, like shale, as soil

Question 4

Regolith

Answer 4

entire mantle of loose, unconsolidated rock material of whatever origin that overlies coherent bedrock (organic or otherwise)

Question 5

Residual soil

Answer 5

soil formed from weathered, but not eroded, from the bedrock.

Question 6

Transported Soil

Answer 6

the product of erosion, broken and deposited elsewhere

Question 7

What sedimentary features often mark transported soil?

Answer 7

Ripples/dunes

Question 8

Types of Transported Soils (6)

Answer 8

1. Alluvium
2. Colluvium
3. Aeolian Deposits
4. Glacial Deposits
5. Marine Deposits
6. Lacustrine Deposits

Question 9

Alluvium

Answer 9

transported by water

Question 10

Colluvium

Answer 10

transported by gravity; often the product of a landslide

Question 11

Aeolian Deposits

Answer 11

transported by wind

Question 12

Marine Deposits

Answer 12

Deposited in a saltwater environment

Question 13

Lacustrine Deposits

Answer 13

Deposited in a lake/freshwater environment

Question 14

Pedon

Answer 14

The unit cell of a soil- the smallest volume that can be recognized as a soil individual

Question 15

Characteristics of a Pedon (3)

Answer 15

1. has 3 dimensions
2. ranges from 1-10 sq.m
3. roughly hexagonal in shape

Question 16

Pedogenesis

Answer 16

Process of soil formation as the integral result of a combination of soil forming factors

Question 17

Soil forming factors:

Answer 17

1. Parent Material
2. Time
3. Climate
4. Topography
5. Vegetation

Question 18

Soil is the product of ____ and ____

Answer 18

Erosion and Weathering

Question 19

Soil Horizons

Answer 19

1. O - organic topsoil
2. A - topsoil, zone of leaching
3. E - eluviation, incredibly leached
4. B- subsoil, zone of accumulation
5. C - unaltered material
6. R - rock

Question 20

What is the mnemonic for remembering soil orders?

Answer 20

Every
ANteater
GEnerally
INgests
Many
ALFalfas
SPORradically
And ,
VEry
Often,
ULTImately

Question 21

Soil Orders:

Answer 21

-Entisol
-Andisol
-Gelisol
-Inceptisol
-Mollisol
-Alfisol
-Spodosol
-Aridisol
-Vertisol
-Oxisol
-Ultisol

Question 22

Entisols

Answer 22

minimal soil profile development

recENT

Location: places with flooding; sand blowing in frequently; landslides

Question 23

Andisols

Answer 23

develops on fresh volcanic ash, rich witb nutrients

ANDo, ANDesite

Locations: areas near active volcanoes (Ex. Hawaii)

Question 24

Gelisol

Answer 24

minimal soil profile development, permafost regions – development paused due to freeze-thaw cycles

gELId- greek, cold

location: areas with permafrost

Question 25

Inceptisols

Answer 25

well developed A-horizon, weak B-horizon; no strong boundary between the two incEPTion- latin, beginning

Question 26

Mollisols

Answer 26

thick, dark, highly organic A-horizon MOLLIS- latin, soft Location: under grasslands (E.g., Central US)

Question 27

Alfisols

Answer 27

thin A-horizon over clay rich B-horizon, well developed E-horizon; loamy soil pedALFer Location: forests; humid, dry regions

Question 28

Aridisols

Answer 28

thin A and B horizons with little organics, caliche in B or C horizons arID Locations: aridic moisture regimes

Question 29

Caliche

Answer 29

an area of calcium carbonate formed in the soils of semiarid regions.

Question 30

Histosols

Answer 30

Wet, organic-rich soils; thick O and A horizons hIStos - greek, tissue Location: wetlands and bogs

Question 31

Vertisols

Answer 31

high clay content; shrinks an swells/w soil moisture variation; driven by wet-dry cycles, NOT freeze-thaw; no development of any horizons

Question 32

Oxisols

Answer 32

highly weathered, red-B horizon from oxidized Fe; end product of mafic parent material soil formation OXide Location: Hawaii, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands

Question 33

Ultisols

Answer 33

highly weathered, B-horizon enriched in clay and Al-oxides; end product of a felsic parent material soil formation ULTimate Location: warm and humid environments

Question 34

Which soil order makes up a majority of continental crust?

Answer 34

Ultisols

Question 35

Which soil order contains highly weathered, oxidized material?

Answer 35

Oxisols

Question 36

In which areas are oxisols most commonly found?

Answer 36

Islands (Hawai'i, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands)

Question 37

What soil order is most commonly found in areas with permafrost?

Answer 37

Gelisols

Question 38

____ - ____ cycles inhibit the development of Gelisol.

Answer 38

freeze-thaw

Question 39

____ - ____ cycles inhibit the development of horizons in Ventisols.

Answer 39

Wet-dry

Question 40

Histosols are most commonly found in what areas?

Answer 40

Swamps/wetlands

Question 41

Alfisols are most commonly found in (humid/arid) environments

Answer 41

Humid

Question 42

Caliches are most commonly found in ....

Answer 42

Aridisols

Question 43

____ are found under grass-lands in the central US and is extremely good for farming.

Answer 43

Mollisols

Question 44

_____ are prized by farmers for its nutrient-dense material

Answer 44

Andisols

Question 45

While they have a well developed A layer and a moderately developed B layer, _____ have no distinction between horizons

Answer 45

Inceptisols

Question 46

Alfisols are often found in _____

Answer 46

forests

Question 47

_____ have recent soil profile development

Answer 47

Entisols

Question 48

Entisols are common in places where ________ or ______ often occur.

Answer 48

landslides; flooding

Question 49

Spodisols are often found in...

Answer 49

cool and moist climates

Question 50

____ are the end goal of mafic parent material soil formation

Answer 50

oxisols

Question 51

____ are the end goal of felsic parent material soil formation

Answer 51

ultisols