Details Title: Exam #5-Soils Description: Soils Total Flash Cards: 58 Created: 11/24/2008 17:44:17		New Users: To study from this flashcard set, or to create your own your own study flash cards, REGISTER HERE. Existing Users: CLICK HERE. Additional Geology Flashcards
Cards in this set: Term       Soils Definition       fine material covering the earth's surface composed of both mineral & organic material;  dirt Term       Soil formation & development happens by? Definition       weathering Term       Soil profile Definition        the array of soil layers; their sequence from top (surface) to bottom (bedrock)   Term       Soil horizon Definition        a distinct layer of soil within the soil profile Term       Soil Properties Definition * color            * texture (clay, sand, silt) * structure            * consistence (cohesion) * porosity            * moisture Term       Soil Formation Definition       * an on-going process of a renewable resource, but not an inexhaustible resource   Term       Components of Soil Definition      *Minerals *Organic matter *Water *Air   Term       Minerals Definition       elements or compounds with a crystalline structure; the building-blocks of rocks; found in all soils   Term       Organic matter Definition         that part originally from living matter; decaying matter of plants, animals & their waste products   Term       Water Definition        fills spaces in the soil or forms a thin film around particles   Term       Air Definition       also fills pour spaces Term       Parent Material Definition       the type of rock & minerals the soil was formed from Term       residual soil Definition       made from the underlying rock Term       transported soil Definition       made from material not found in underlying rock Term       Climate Definition       if Temperature & precipitation (moisture) differ, will yield different soils, even from same parent material   Term       Biological Agents Definition       decomposers, microorganisms, bacteria, fungi, type of humus or organic matter   Term       Topography Definition       flat vs steep slopes;   windward vs leeward slopes;  sun exposure   Term       Time Definition       for a given place, more time means more complete development & increased thickness of soil   Term       Factors involved in soil formation: Definition   *Parent Material *Climate *Biological Agents *Topography *Time   Term       What are the 4 development processes of soil horizons? Definition     *Addition *Transformation *Depletion *Translocation Term       Addition Definition     grains of soil made by adding material to the soil already in place;  adding organic matter   Term       Transformation Definition       weathering of rock, minerals, & soil particles already present;  physically or chemically changing them   Term       Depletion Definition       particles are carried out of an area & downward thru soil by percolating water, the an area below   Term       Translocation Definition       deposition of particles in a lower area from an area above   Term       Main Soil Horizons: Definition       O, A, E, B, C, R Term       'O' horizon Definition       organic horizon, consisting entirely of organic material Term       'A' horizon Definition       upper most layer developed from parent material Term       'E' horizon Definition       lighter colored layer just below the 'A' horizon Term       'B' horizon Definition       created by translocation of particles from the 'A' & 'E' horizons above Term       'C' horizon Definition       where the parent material is transformed by weathering into soil particles to become future soil Term       'R' horizon Definition       where solid rock (bedrock) is first affected by weather Term       Solum Definition     the 'A', 'E', & 'B' horizons; those layers in which plant roots are most active   *sol:  used as a suffix in soil classification Term       Pedon Definition     column of soil, extending from the 'O' horizon into the 'C' horizon   *ped:  naturally occurring "clump" of soil Term       Soil texture is: Definition     *size of the particles in the soil *an indication of the soils compactness & amount of pore space Term       Largest to smallest: Definition       Sand, silt, clay Term       Loam Definition     a term used to describe a soil, similar to a clay or sand, but based on the percent of sand, silt, & clay and NOT on particle size Term       Field Capacity Definition       ability of a soil to hold water against the downward pull of gravity Term       Sand= Definition       =low field capacity Term       Clay= Definition       =high field capacity Term       Soil structure does what? Definition     *  the type or arrangement of a soils' peds; also plays a role in determing a soils field capacity   Term       Platy Definition       layered peds, like flakes stacked horizontally Term       Prismatic Definition       peds arranged in columns Term       Blocky or Angular Definition       straight sided, irregularly shaped peds Term       Spheroidal or Granular Definition       small, rounded shaped peds Term        4 Basic Soil Structures       Definition   Platy Prismatic Blocky or Angular Spheroidal or Granular Term       How many soil orders? Definition       12 Term       Entisols Definition       soils of recent origin Term       Inceptisols Definition       show the beginnings of a weakly developed 'B' horizon       Term       Vertisols Definition       clay-rich soils which swell or shrink with moisture Term       Andisols Definition       developed from volcanic ash Term       Histosols Definition       water-saturated organic soils Term       Aridisols Definition       dry soils found in most desert areas; salinization common Term       Mollisols Definition     grassland soils of high agricultural value, such as under the Great Plains (US);  thick 'O' horizon   * very thick, sod houses made out of Term       Alfisols Definition       moderately weathered deciduous forest soils; moist, highly mineral-rich soils Term       Spodosols Definition       soils of coniferous (needle-leaf evergreen, pine) forests;  highly acidic soils Term       Utisols Definition       warm, wet climate soils with a high clay content in the 'B' horizon, as found in the SE US   Term       Oxisols Definition     tropical areas with high rainfall;  rainforests; rich in FE & AL oxides; subject to laterization   Term       Gelisols Definition       cold & frozen soils subject to crytoturbation (frost churning); found in high latitudes & elevations