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Soils > Exam 1 > Flashcards

Exam 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

Define: soil

A

A dynamic natural body composed of minerals, organic materials, and living forms

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2
Q

Define rock

A

Mixtures of minerals

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3
Q

Define igneous rock

A

Rocks cooled from molten materials

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4
Q

Define sedimentary rock

A

Formed from the deposition of sediments followed by high pressure and a cementing agent

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5
Q

Define metamorphic rock

A

Formed from either igneous or sedimentary rocks through the action of intensive heat and pressure

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6
Q

Define physical weathering

A

Destructive process caused by atmospheric agents that breakdown rocks without change to e physical identity

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7
Q

Define chemical weathering

A

Weathering caused by atmospheric agents that change the chemical composition of rocks and minerals

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8
Q

O horizon

A

Organic horizon that forms above the mineral soil

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9
Q

A horizon

A

Mineral soil horizon, high biological activity . Zone of rapid mineral weathering and leaching

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10
Q

E horizon

A

Horizon in which large amounts of clay and iron have been leached or removed by water
Zone of eluviation

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11
Q

B horizon

A

Horizon that receives material leached from E and A horizons

Zone of illuviation

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12
Q

Define elluviation

A

Removal, exit, maximum leaching

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13
Q

Define illuviation

A

Deposition of materials eluviated from upper horizons

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14
Q

C horizon

A

Horizon of unconsolidated material that may or may not be parent material of the soil

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15
Q

R horizon

A

Consolidated hard rock

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16
Q

What are the five soil forming factors

A

Parent material, climate, relief, biota, time

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17
Q

Define colluvial

A

Transported by gravity

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18
Q

Define alluvial

A

Transported by stream

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19
Q

Define marine

A

Transported by ocean

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20
Q

Define lacustrine

A

Transported by lake

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21
Q

Define glacial

A

Transported with glacier

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22
Q

Define eolian

A

Transported by wind

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23
Q

What are the four soil forming processes

A

Additions, losses, transformations, and translocation

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24
Q

Entisols

A

Simple soils, no diagnostic horizon

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25
Inceptisols
Soils with minimum development, little or no subsoil clay accumulation
26
Mollisol
Thick, soft, dark mineral soil of grasslands
27
Alfisol
Subsoil accumulation of clay, not strongly leached. Under deciduous forest or savanna vegetation
28
Spodosols
Subsoil accumulation of iron, organic matter, and aluminum, typically under coniferous forest vegetation
29
Ultisols
Subsoil accumulation of clay, highly leached soil
30
Oxisol
Extreme leaching, only iron and aluminum oxides and quartz are left
31
Gelisol
Soils with dark organic surface layer and mineral layers underlaid by permafrost
32
Aridisols
Soils of hot, dry,regions
33
Vertisols
Clayey soils with a high shrink swell potential. Distinct wet and dry periods throughout the year
34
Histosols
Dark organic soil, little mineral matter
35
Andisol
Mineral soil formed on volcanic ash parent material
36
Mollic
Has to be determined in lab. High base saturation | DSH
37
Umbric
Less than 50% base saturation | DSH
38
Melanic
Only found where volcanic eruptions occur. Black | DSH
39
Histic
Swampy soils formed under very wet conditions, lots of organic material DSH
40
Ochric
Default. Fails to meet definition of other epipedons | DSH
41
Argillic
Semi arid and wetter. Bt horizon associated with this DSSH
42
Oxic
Tropics Highly weathered, cation exchange is critical to plant nutrition. DSSH
43
Spodic
Cool humid Illuvial organic carbon, needs to be leached from the A or E horisons DSSH
44
Albic
Basically and E horizon Eluvial horizon free of clay, iron and aluminum oxides DSSH
45
Cambic
Fails to meet definition of other diagnostic horizons | DSSH
46
Genetic horizon
Qualitative, descriptive, field descriptions
47
Diagnostic horizon
Quantitatively defined, used for taxonomy
48
Horizon a
Highly decomposed organic material | Associated with O horizon
49
Horizon b
Buried | Does not require pedogenesis
50
Horizon e
Intermediate decomposed organic material
51
Horizon f
Frozen
52
Horizon g
Gley: blue grey color, reduced Fe | In water logged soils
53
Horizon h
Illuvial accumulation of humus or organic matter
54
Horizon k
Illuvial accumulation of lime CaCO3
55
Horizon m
Cemented
56
Horizon p
Plowed
57
Horizon s
Illuvial accumulation of Fe and Al oxides | Associated with B
58
Horizon t
Illuvial accumulation of clay
59
Horizon w
Weak development | Associated with B
60
Hydrolysis
Breaking down of a water molecule during the reaction producing either H+ or OH-
61
Hydration
The addition of water | Water does not disassociate
62
Carbonation
Acid base reaction, with carbonic acid or some acid being a source of protons
63
Oxidation-reduction
Reactions involving the exchange of electrons or change in oxidation state of an element
64
Dissolution
Reactions in which minerals dissolve in water
65
Complexation or chelation
Breakdown of a mineral is accelerated by an organic molecule acting as a chelate
66
Composition breakdown of soil
45% mineral, 25% water, 25% air, 5% organic matter

Soils (1 decks)

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