Chapter 16 Flashcards
(17 cards)
Angle of Repose
The maximum angle at which a slope of loose material can lie without sliding downhill.
Kaolinite
A white to cream-colored clay produced by the weathering of feldspar.
Consolidated Material
Sediment that is compacted and bound together by mineral cements.
Liquefaction
The temporary transformation of solid material to a fluid state when it is saturated with water.
Exfoliation
A physical weathering process in which large flat or curved sheets of rock are detached from an outcrop.
Mass Movement
A downslope movement of masses of soil, rock, mud, or other materials under the force of gravity.
Hematite
The principal iron ore; the most abundant iron oxide at Earth’s surface.
Mass Wasting
All the processes by which weathered and unweathered Earth materials move downslope in large amounts and in large single events, usually under the influence of gravity
Chemical Stability
A measure of a substance’s tendency to retain its chemical identity rather than reacting spontaneously to become a different chemical substance.
Creep
A slow downhill mass movement of soil or other debris at a rate ranging from about 1 to 10 mm/year.
Frost Wedging
A physical weathering process in which the expansion of freezing water in cracks in rock breaks the rock.
Humus
An organic component of soil consisting of the remains and waste products of the many organisms living in that soil
Slump
A slow mass movement of unconsolidated material that travels as a unit.
Soil
An intricate combination of weathered rock and organic material.
Soil Profile
The composition and appearance of a soil, usually characterized by distinct layers.
Talus
Large blocks of broken rock that fall from a steep cliff of limestone or hard, cemented sandstone and accumulate in a gender slope at the foot of the cliff.
Unconsolidated Material
Sediment that is loose and uncemented.
