Weathering and Erosion Study Guide
Vocabulary
______à When chemical reactions dissolve or alter the minerals in rocks or change them into different
minerals
______à When rocks are broken apart by physical processes
______à Process in which surface materials are worn away and transported from one place to another by
agents such as gravity and water
______à Occurs when some materials are exposed to oxygen and water.
______à The removal of minerals that have been dissolved in water.
______à a mixture of weathered rock, decayed organic matter, mineral fragments, water, and air.
______à Method for reducing soil erosion; plant stalks are left in the field after harvesting and the next
year’s crop is planted within the stalks without plowing
______à Occurs in temperate and cold climates where water enters cracks in rocks and freezes.
______à All of the horizons of soil
______àDecayed organic matter that turns into a dark-colored material
______à Planting along the natural contours of the land to reduce soil erosion.
______à Method in which steep-sided, level topped areas are built onto the sides of steep hills and
mountains so that crops can be grown.
Write a P (physical change) or C (chemical change) next to each characteristic.
ü Change in Color ______
ü Change in energy ______
ü Change in shape ______
ü Change in odor ______
ü Change in state ______
ü Ability to dissolve ______
Write a M (mechanical weathering) or a C (chemical weathering) next to each example.
ü Plant Roots ______
ü Abrasion ______
ü Oxygen ______
ü Acid Rain______
ü Release of Pressure ______
ü Living Organisms ______
ü Water ______
ü Animal Actions ______
ü Freezing and thawing ______
ü Carbon Dioxide ______
Fill in the Blank
ü The layer of soil that contains the most humus as well as smaller rock and mineral particles than the other horizons is the ______horizon.
ü The organic material in humus includes ______.
ü What is the main difference between mechanical and chemical weathering? (think-chemical composition) ______
______
ü In order for oxidation to occur ______, ______, and ______need to be present.
ü Litter is found in which horizon ______.
ü What is the piling of sediment in a new area? ______.
Write A (A-horizon), B (B-horizon), or C (C-horizon) next to each picture and statement about soil horizons.
ü Contains course sediments and parent material of soil ______
ü Contains leached material from other layers ______
ü Dark, fertile coil containing humus ______
ü ______
ü ______
ü ______
Write W (weathering), E (erosion), D (deposition) next to each example
ü Flood water pounding against a canyon wall and wearing it down ______
ü Rain washing away soil from a hillside ______
ü Layers of sediment forming at the bottom of the ocean ______
ü A mudslide flowing down a steep hill ______
ü Caves being formed by acid rain dissolving underground limestone ______
ü Waves dropping sane on the beach ______
Name the five factors that affect soil erosion.
1. ______
2. ______
3. ______
4. ______
5. ______
Explain the difference between soil in a desert and soil in a tropical rain forest (think about the pores of the soil).
______
______
______
Evaluate why soil erosion is a serious problem for agriculture
______
______
______