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Ch6
Ch6
29
Geology
Undergraduate 2
03/21/2011

Additional Geology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
active layer
Definition
The zone in permafrost that is subject to seasonal freezing and thawing.
Term
bioremediation
Definition
The use of microbes to clean hydrocarbon residues from contaminated soils.
Term
caliche
Definition
In arid regions, a sediment or soil that is cemented by calcium carbonate (CaCO3).
Term
erosion
Definition
The weathering and transportation of the materials of the earth’s surface.
Term
exfoliation dome
Definition
A large rounded dome resulting from exfoliation; e.g., Half Dome in Yosemite National Park.
Term
expansive soils
Definition
Clayey soils that expand when they absorb water and shrink when they dry out.
Term
frost wedging
Definition
The opening of joints and cracks by the freezing and thawing of water.
Term
gullying (erosion
Definition
The cutting of channels into the landscape by running water. When extreme, it renders farmland useless.
Term
hardpan
Definition
Impervious layer just below the land surface produced by calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the B horizon (see claypan).
Term
laterite
Definition
highly weathered brick-red soil characteristic of tropical and subtropical rainy climates. These are rich in oxides or iron and aluminum and have some clay minerals and silica. Bauxite is an A1-rich deposit of a similar origin.
Term
loess
Definition
A blanket deposit of buff-colored calcareous silt that is porous and shows little or no stratifi-cation. It covers wide areas in Europe, eastern China, and the Mississippi valley. It is generally considered to be windblown dust of Pleistocene age.
Term
pedocal
Definition
Soil of arid or semiarid regions that is rich in calcium carbonate.
Term
pedologist
Definition
A person who studies soils.
Term
permafrost
Definition
Permanently frozen ground, with or without water, occurring in arctic, sub-artic, and alpine regions.
Term
permafrost table
Definition
The upper limit of permafrost.
Term
phytoremediation
Definition
The use of plants to remove soil contaminants, particularly excess salt.
Term
regolith
Definition
Unconsolidated rock and mineral fragments at the surface of the earth.
Term
residual soil
Definition
Soil formed in place by decomposition of the rocks upon which it lies.
Term
rill eroision
Definition
The carving of small channels, up to 25 cm (10 in) deep, in soil by running water.
Term
sheet erosion
Definition
The removal of thin layers of surface rock or soil from an area of gently sloping land by broad continuous sheets of running water (sheet flow), rather than by channelized streams.
Term
sheet joint
Definition
Cracks more or less parallel to the ground surface that result from expansion due to deep erosion and the unloading of overburden pressure.
Term
soil
Definition
A. Loose material at the surface of the earth that supports the growth of plants (pedological definition).
B. All loose surficial earth material resting on coherent bedrock (engineering definition).
Term
soil horizon:
Definition
A layer of soil that is distinguishable from adjacent layers by properties such as color, texture, structure, or chemical composition
Term
soil profile
Definition
A vertical section of soil that exposes all of its horizons or zones.
Term
spheroidal weathering
Definition
Weathering of rock surfaces that creates a rounded or spherical shape as the corners of the rock mass are weathered faster than its flat faces
Term
trace elements
Definition
An element that occurs in minute quantities in rocks or plant or animal tissue. Some are essential for human health.
Term
tundra soils
Definition
A treeless plain characteristic of arctic regions with organic rich, poorly drained tundra soils and permanently frozen ground
Term
vapor extraction
Definition
The use of vacuum pumps placed in shallow bore holes to remove vaporized organic contaminants in the soil such as gasoline or TCE.
Term
weathering
Definition
: The physical and chemical breakdown of materials of the earth’s crust by interaction with the atmosphere and biosphere.
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