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Definition
| A weak acid (H2CO3) that forms from the reaction of water and carbon dioxide. Most rain water is a very weak carbonic acid solution formed by the reaction of rain with small amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. |
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| A downslope movement of rock and soil over a failure surface and under the influence of gravity. Slumps, earthflows, debris flows and debris slides are examples. |
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| Soil is the naturally occurring, unconsolidated or loose covering on the Earth's surface. Soil is made up of broken rock particles that have been altered by chemical and environmental conditions, affected by processes such as weathering and erosion. |
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chemical weathering [image] |
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Definition
| The breaking down of surface rock material by solution or chemical alteration. Common alteration processes are oxidation and hydrolysis. |
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Definition
| A general term used for any downslope movement of rock, soil, snow or ice under the influence of gravity. Includes: landslides, creep, rock falls and avalanches. |
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Definition
| Soil erosion by water, wind and tillage affects both agriculture and the natural environment. Soil loss, and its associated impacts, is one of the most important (yet probably the least well-known) of today's environmental problems |
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Creep is the tendency of a solid material to slowly move or deform permanently under the influence of stresses. It occurs as a result of long term exposure to levels of stress that are below the yield strength of the material. Creep is more severe in materials that are subjected to heat for long periods, and near the melting point. Creep always increases with temperature. |
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Term
mechanical weathering [image] |
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Definition
| A general term applied to a variety of weathering processes that result in the particle size reduction of rock materials with no change in composition. Frost action, salt crystal growth and pressure relief fracturing are examples. Also known as physical weathering. |
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Definition
| Soil Profile refers to the layers of soil; horizon A, B, and C. If you're wondering what horizon A is, here's your answer: horizon A refers to the upper layer of soil, nearest the surface. |
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Definition
| A general term applied to the wearing away and movement of earth materials by gravity, wind, water and ice. |
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Definition
| A type of mass movement composed mainly of clay-size materials with a high enough water content that it flows readily. |
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Definition
| Subsoil (also called substrata) is the layer of soil under the topsoil on the surface of the ground |
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Definition
| A physical weathering process in which concentric layers of rock are removed from an outcrop. |
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Definition
| A chemical reaction in which substances combine with oxygen. For example, the combination of iron with oxygen to form an iron oxide. |
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Definition
| Topsoil is the upper, outermost layer of soil, usually the top 2 to 8 inches. It has the highest concentration of organic matter and microorganisms and is where most of the Earth's biological soil activity occurs. |
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Definition
| Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction during which one or more water molecules are split into hydrogen and hydroxide ions which may go on to participate in further reactions. |
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Term
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Definition
| Parent material, in soil science, means the underlying geological material (generally bedrock or a superficial or drift deposit) in which soil horizons form. Soils typically get a great deal of structure and minerals from their parent material. Parent materials are made up of consolidated or unconsolidated mineral material that has undergone some degree of physical or chemical weathering. |
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Definition
| Soil that is not formed by the local rock |
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| An ice wedge is a crack in the ground formed by a narrow or thin piece of ice that measures anywhere from 3 to 4 meters wide and extends downwards into the ground up to 10 inches. |
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Definition
| The soil that is remaining after the soluble elements have been dissolved |
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Definition
Weathering is the decomposition of earth rocks, soils and their minerals through direct contact with the planet's atmosphere. Weathering occurs in situ, or "with no movement", and thus should not to be confused with erosion, which involves the movement of rocks and minerals by agents such as water, ice, wind, and gravity. |
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