FLASHCARDS for Weathering, Erosion, and Soil

Logging/Deforestation / Make soil more prone to erosion because there is nothing to hold the soil in place / Horizon C / Contains the weathered “parent” bedrock
Humus / Horizon O; made up of the decaying roots, leaves and other organic matter / Soil profile / The vertical sequence of layers (or horizons) of soil starting with Humus and Topsoil and going down to the bedrock
Minerals / The parent bedrock determines what kind of minerals will be in the soil / Soil / A loose covering of broken rock and decaying organic matter that lies on top of the bedrock
Horizon / A distinct horizontal layer with a vertical sequence of soil. / Texture / Soil scientists classify soil based on the percentages of different-sized particles, or textures. There are 3 sizes; sand, clay and silt
Increased Surface area / If a block of rock is crushed, the increase surface area will speed up the rate of weathering of that rock / Mechanical weathering / Physically breaking apart the rocks by changes in temperature or pressure. Ex: frost wedging, exfoliation, root or animal activity
Chemical Weathering / A reaction that changes the composition of the rock. Ex: hydrolysis, oxidation, acid precipitation, carbonic acid forming a cave / Wet and warm / The best type of climate for increased RATE of chemical weathering
Frost wedging / Also called ice wedging, when water freezes it expands and breaks rocks apart / Acid precipitation / When SO2 an NO2 dissolve with atmospheric moisture. Can cause chemical weathering
SO2 and NO2 / Come from industrial emissions and car exhaust / Oxidation / Chemical reaction between iron-bearing rocks and oxygen in air
Oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water / The most important agents of chemical weathering worldwide / Exfoliation / Extreme temperature changes weaken rocks causing the outer layers to break apart
Hydrolysis / A chemical reaction between rocks and water / Avalanche / A fast-moving landslide of SNOW
Mudflow / Swift-moving mud and water / Landslide / Rapidly moving rocks and debris down a slope; can be triggered by a quake. Great Geohazard
Gravity / The force that pulls all things downslope / Weathering / The physical or chemical break down of rocks on or near the Earth’s surface
Erosion / The removal and transport of weathered rock by wind, water, glaciers, or gravity / Deposition / The process where eroded rock material is dropped in a new location
Delta / is formed at the mouth of a river when the river slows down before it enters an ocean or sea and deposit a triangular shaped deposit / Plant vegetation, build a wall, and install pipes / Three things you can do to protect a slope form a landslide
Glaciers / Large masses of ice; Gouge and Scrape the earth moving HUGE blocks of rock / Desert / Prone to wind erosion because it does not have much planted vegetation to hold the soil in place
4 agents of erosion / WWGG= wind, water, glaciers, and gravity / Caves / Can form when acidic groundwater comes in contact with limestone
Sinkhole / Formed when the roof of a cave collapses and fills with water / Slope / The steeper the slope, the greater the erosion will be. Mass movements take place on slopes especially those with an incline of 23-35 degrees
Educate people about the dangers of building on slopes / The very best way to prevent erosional disasters from destroying life and property / Carbonic acid / Carbon dioxide and water=carbonic acid
Reacts with limestone to form caves
Potholes / Formed by frost wedging on roads / Carbon dioxide / Gas given off by living organisms when they breathe