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Definition
| Removal of weathered rocks. Occurs when rain, running water, wind, glaciers, or gravity transport material somewhere else |
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| Physical-the disintegration of rock into smaller pieces by physical processes without altering the chemical composition of the rock |
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| The decomposition of rock when it comes in contact with AIR, WATER, or other agent in the environment. Alters chemical composition and mineral content |
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| Pressure-release fracturing |
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Definition
| Mechanical weathering process when tectonic forces lift deeply buried rocks close to the surface and erode overlying sediment. This expands the rock and fractures them |
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| Mechanical weathering process in which water freezes in a crack in rock, then the expansion wedges apart the rock |
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| Accumulation of loose, angular rocks at the base of a cliff. Created when rocks broke off as a result of frost wedging |
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Definition
| Mechanical weathering process that consists of the grinding and ROUNDING of rock surfaces by friction and impact |
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Definition
| Mechanical weathering process in which a crack in a rock is expanded by TREE or plant roots growing |
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| Thermal expansion and contraction |
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Definition
| Mechanical weathering process that fractures rocks when temperature changes rapidly, causing the surface of the rock to heat or cool faster than the interior. This expands or contracts it causing it to weather |
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Definition
| Chemical weathering process in which mineral or rocks dissolves, forming a solution |
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| True or false: Rocks and minerals dissolve more rapidly when water is either acidic or basic |
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| Leaves, twigs, and other plant or animals material that have fallen to the surface of the soil but have not decomposed |
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| Chemical weathering process in which a mineral reacts with water to forma new mineral that has water as part of its chemical structure |
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Definition
| A chemical weathering process in which salts that are dissolved in water in the pores of rock crystallize, widening cracks and pushing the mineral grains apart |
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Definition
| A chemical weathering process in which salts that are dissolved in water in the pores or rock crystallize, widening cracks, and pushing the mineral grains apart |
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Definition
| Weathering process resulting in fracture when concentric plates or shells split away from a main rock mass like the layers of an onion |
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Definition
| Thin layer of loose, unconsolidated weathered material that overlies bedrock (soil) |
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Definition
| The upper layers of regolith that support plant growth |
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Definition
| The most fertile soil, a mixture especially rich in sand and silt with generous amounts of organic matter |
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| Explain the role of the four spheres in soil formation process |
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Definition
Geosphere-weathered rock turns to regolith
Hydrosphere-infiltration
Atmosphere-aeration (soil needs oxygen, nitrogen, and COs for plants)
Biosphere-source of organic matter |
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Term
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Definition
| Dark, organic component of soil consisting of litter that has decomposed enough so that the origin of the individual species cannot be determined |
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Definition
| A layer of soil that is distinguishable from other layers because of differences in appearance in physical and chemical properties |
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Definition
| Uppermost layer of soil, named for it organic component; the combined O and A horizons are called topsoil |
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Definition
| the layer of soil below the O horizon, composed of a mixture of humus, sand, silt, and clay |
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| The soil layer below the A horizon, contains less organic matter, and where ions leached from the A horizon accumulate. Also called SUBSOIL |
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| the downward movement of water and dissolved ions from the O and A soil horizons, into the B horizon, where they accumulate |
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| The process by which water is pulled upward thorugh the soil due to natural attraction of water molecules to soil particles |
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| Salt encrusted soil in arid and semiarid climates characterized by an accumulation of calcium carbonate |
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Definition
| hard crust on the soil of arid or semiarid regions formed when calcium carbonate precipitates and cements the soil particles together |
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Definition
| Subcategory of slide mass wasting in which blocks of material slide downslope as a consolidated unit over a fracture in rock or regolith; trees on the slumping blocks tilt uphill |
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Definition
| Subcategory of slide mass wasting in which a segment of bedrock slides downslope along a fracture and the rock breaks into fragments and tumbles down the hillside; also a called a rock avalanche |
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