weathering and soil vocab

Question 1

chemical weathering

Answer 1

changes materials that are part of a rock into new materials

Question 2

environment

Answer 2

the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, and plant lives or operates

Question 3

Mechanical weathering

Answer 3

when physical processes naturally break rocks into smaller pieces

Question 4

oxidation

Answer 4

combines oxygen with other elements or molecules

Question 5

weathering

Answer 5

the mechanical and chemical processes that change objects on Earth’s surface over time

Question 6

biota

Answer 6

all of the organisms that live in a region

Question 7

climate

Answer 7

the average weather of an area

Question 8

decomposition

Answer 8

the process of changing once-living material into dark colored organic matter

Question 9

horizon

Answer 9

layers of soil formed from movement of the products of weathering

Question 10

organic matter

Answer 10

the remains of something that was once alive

Question 11

parent material

Answer 11

the starting material of soil

Question 12

pore

Answer 12

small holes and spaces

Question 13

sediment

Answer 13

rock material that forms where rocks are broken down into smaller pieces or dissolved in water as rocks erode

Question 14

soil

Answer 14

a mixture of weathered rock, rock fragments, decayed organic matter, water, and air

Question 15

topography

Answer 15

the shape and steepness of the landscape

Question 16

What are the 4 causes of mechanical weathering

Answer 16

Ice wedging, abrasion, plants, animals

Question 17

How does ice wedging cause mechanical weathering?

Answer 17

When the temperature reaches 0 degrees celcius, the water freezes and expands and makes the cracks bigger. This is one of the most effective weathering processes. Also called Frost wedging

Question 18

How does abrasion cause mechanical weathering?

Answer 18

The grinding away of rock by friction or impact

Question 19

How do plants cause mechanical weathering

Answer 19

plants grow in cracks, roots absorb minerals from rocks making it weather. Growing roots push on the crack making it wider

Question 20

how do animals cause mechanical weathering

Answer 20

they create holes in the soil where water enters and burrow in loose rock and break them as they dig

Question 21

What are the 3 agents of chemical weathering?

Answer 21

Water, Acid, Oxidation

Question 22

How does water cause chemical weathering?

Answer 22

minerals that make up most rocks dissolve very slowly in water

Question 23

how does acid cause chemical weathering

Answer 23

it increases the rate of chemical weathering more than rain or water does

Question 24

How does oxidation cause chemical weathering

Answer 24

oxidation combines the element of oxygen with the other elements or molecules. Oxides break away from the rock

Question 25

What is the pH range for an acid?

Answer 25

0 to 7

Question 26

what is an oxide and why are they useful

Answer 26

oxides are the product of oxidation. It produces useful ores such as bauxite (aluminum) and hematite (iron)

Question 27

what are 3 things that affect the rate of weathering

Answer 27

the environment, temperature/moisture, and the type of rock

Question 28

Where does mechanical weathering occur fastest

Answer 28

mechanical weathering happens fastest in locations that have frequent weather changes.

Question 29

Where does chemical weathering occur the fastest?

Answer 29

chemical weathering happens the fastest in warm wet places

Question 30

where on the planet does weathering occur fastest overall?

Answer 30

in regions near the equator (rain forests)

Question 31

Where on the planet does weathering occur the slowest overall?

Answer 31

Cold dry places (deserts, the poles)

Question 32

What is soil

Answer 32

soil is a mixture of weathered rock, rock fragments, decayed organic matter, water, and gases. silt, sand, clay is the inorganic matter

Question 33

How does water and air get into soil?

Answer 33

water and air get into soil by small holes called pores

Question 34

what is porosity

Answer 34

the movement of water through holes in soil

Question 35

what is organic matter?

Answer 35

Organic matter is the remains of something that was once alive - dead leaves, dead insects, waste products from animals are examples

Question 36

why is organic matter important?

Answer 36

organic matter is important because it holds water and nutrients in the soil

Question 37

What are the 5 factors of soil formation?

Answer 37

Parent Material, climate, topography, biota, time

Question 38

in regards to soil formation, what is parent material

Answer 38

starting material; rock or sediment that weathers and forms soil

Question 39

in regards to soil formation, what does climate mean?

Answer 39

soil forms quickly in warm wet climates

Question 40

in regards to soil formation, what is topography?

Answer 40

The topography is the shape and steepness of a landscape. it determines what happens to water that reaches soil surface

Question 41

in regards to soil formation, how is biota involved?

Answer 41

animals form passages for water to move through

Question 42

How does time affect soild formation?

Answer 42

as time passes, weathering is constantly acting on rocks and sediment. 1000 year old soil is young

Question 43

Describe A horizon

Answer 43

contains the most organic matter, darkest

Question 44

Describe D horizon

Answer 44

When water from rain or snow seeps through pores in the A horizon, it carries clay particles to form the D horizon

Question 45

Describe C horizon

Answer 45

the layer of weathered parent material

Question 46

Describe O horizon

Answer 46

the top organic layer

Question 47

Describe R Horizon

Answer 47

Unweathered bedrock

Question 48

arrange these particles of soil from largest to smalles: Sand, Silt, Clay

Answer 48

1. Sand 2. Silt 3. Clay

Question 49

What type of soil does water flow through most easily and why?

Answer 49

Water flows through sand the easiest due to the large pores that occur between the large particles

Question 50

Describe this property of soil: Color

Answer 50

determined by composition (how light or dark)

Question 51

Describe this property of soil: Texture

Answer 51

large sized pieces (boulder) to very fine pieces (clay)

Question 52

Describe this property of soil: Structure

Answer 52

shape of clumps, how it is held together, grainy, blocky, prism

Question 53

Describe this property of soil: Consistency

Answer 53

hardness or softness of soil varies with moisture

Question 54

Describe this property of soil: infiltration

Answer 54

how fast water enters soil

Question 55

Describe this property of soil: moisture

Answer 55

amount of water in soil pores

Question 56

Describe this property of soil: pH

Answer 56

How acidic - more acidic is in higher humidity locations

Question 57

Describe this property of soil: Fertility

Answer 57

ability to support plant growth including amount of certain elements necessary for plants

Question 58

Describe this property of soil: temperature

Answer 58

on the surface temp changes frequently in lower layers temp changes less often

Question 59

how many types of soil are there?

Answer 59

12

Question 60

Which soil type is typical for us?

Answer 60

our soil has subsoil clay accumulation