Chapter 14 :D

Ace your homework & exams now with Quizwiz!

Hydrolysis

a chemical reaction between water and another substance to form two or more new substances

Horizon

a horizontal layer of soil that can be distiguished from the layers above and below it; also a boudnary between two rock layers that have different physical properties

Soil

a loose mixture of rock fragments and organic material that can support the growth of vegetation

Landform

a physical feature of earth's surface

Erosion

a process in which the materials in Earth's surface are loosened, dissolved, or worn away and transported from one place to another by a natural agent, such as wind, water, ice, or gravity

Oxidation

a reaction that removes one or more electrons from a substance such that the or oxidation state increases; in geology, the process by which an element combines with oxygen

Soil Profile

a vertical section of soil that shows the layers of horizons

Which of the following rocks is most likely to weather quickly?

and exposed rock on a slope.

Explain two ways that animals can affect the rate of weathering.

animals cause weathering by digging holes in soil and rocks, while other animals cause mechanical weathering, animal waste such as bites cause chemical weathering.

Humus

dark, organic material formed in soil from the decayed remains of plants and animals

The processes of physical weathering and erosion shape earths landforms by __.

decreasing the elevation of earths surface.

What is erosion?

erosion is the geologic process of transporting of wearing products that result from loosening earths surface is to other places by natural agents such as wind, water, gravity and ice.

Describe the erosion of three major landforms.

erosion occurs in mountains,'s planes, and plateaus.

Identify two ways gravity contributes to erosion.

gravity may cause rockfalls, landslides, mudflows, and slums.

How does the surface area affect a rocks' weathering rate?

increased surface area is directly proportional with rate of weathering

Compare rapid mass movements and slow mass movements.

mass movement is the following of fragments down the slope, which is either rapid mass movement such as rockfalls, landslides, mudflows and slumps, or slow mass movement such as solifluction and creep.

How does acid precipitation form?

Acid rain is caused by a chemical reaction that begins when compounds like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the air. These substances can rise very high into the atmosphere, where they mix and react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form more acidic pollutants, known as acid rain

Oxdies of sulfur and nitrogen that combine with water vapor cause ___.

Acid rain.

Summarize two processes of erosion.

-Gullying: that result from farming and plowing of furrows, as up and down slopes allow water to run gently, which washes the soil away and furrows become larger and form gully, and the end will be a land full of gullies. - Sheet erosion: it is a geological process in which water flows runs over soil layers and remove parallel layers of topsoil.

Describe three horizons of residual soil.

A, B, C horizons.

The grinding away of rock surfaces through the mechanical action of rock or sand.

Abrasion.

Which of the following has the greatest impact on soil composition?

Characteristics of a parent rock.

The red color of rocks and soil containing iron rich minerals is caused by __.

Chemical weathering.

Identify four farming methods that will result in soil conservation.

Contour plowing, strip cropping, terracing, and crop rotation.

The process by which softer rocks wear away and leave harder rocks behind is ____.

Differential weathering.

Compare mechanical and chemical weathering.

Mechanical weathering is the process by which rocks break through physical means, whereas chemical weathering is where rocks break down through the result of chemical reactions.

What are 3 ways human actions can affect the rate of weathering.

Mining, construction, and recreational activities such as hiking or writing vehicles.

The type of mass movement that moves the most soil is _____.

Mudflows.

How do soils form?

Soil forms from the weathering of rocks through millions of years.

The soil in tropical climates is often ____.

thin.

In which of the following climates does chemical weathering generally occur most rapidly?

warm, humid climates.

Describe two ways the topography of a region affects weathering rates.

Hi elevation causes lowered temperatures and causes ice wedging, while lower elevations are more affected by gravity or washed by rain, I was falling rocks are c High elevation causes lowered temperatures and causes ice wedging, while lower elevations are more affected by gravity or washed by rain, I was falling rocks are shifted down and smashed against each other, which causes weathering.

Chemical weathering is most rapid in ___.

Hot, wet climates.

Describe how ice wedging weathers rock.

Ice wedging is process of water seeping into the cracks of a rock. Once this water freezes, it expands the rock's size by 10%. Over time, as this process continues, the rock will eventually expand so much that it will end up breaking.

What is a common kind of mechanical weathering?

Ice wedging.

Predict the type of soil that will form in artic and tropical climates.

In arctic climate regal is soil is formed because mechanical weathering mainly as rainfall is the lowest and chemical weathering is very slow, which contain little humerus due to low life sustainability. In tropical climates laterites which is characterized by iron and aluminum minerals that are poorly dissolved in water, as these climates have high rainfall and high temperature, which causes chemical weathering to develop the soil rapidly, and heavy rain increases soil leaching which makes a horizon thinner.

All of the following farming methods prevent gullying, except ____.

Irrigation.

The surface area of rocks exposed to weathering is increased by __.

Jointing.

Compare hydrolysis, carbonation, and oxidation.

Oxidation is the process by which elements combine with oxygen. Hydrolysis is the process where water and another substance form a chemical reaction, resulting in two new substances. Finally, carbonation is when carbon dissolves in water.

Identify and describe three chemical processes that weather rock.

Oxidation, the process by which elements combine with oxygen, hydrolysis, a chemical reaction between water and another substance to form two new substances, and carbonation when CO2 dissolves in water.

Explain how the influence of plants or animals help weather rocks or soil.

Plant's roots grow and exert pressure on rocks that crack them, while burrowing animals and earth worms cause weathering by digging in the soil.

List four agents of erosion.

The four agents of a erosion are Wind, gravity, glaciers and water

The chemical composition of soil depends to a large extent on ____.

The parent material.

What are the three agents of mechanical weathering?

The three agents of mechanical weathering are ice wedging, abrasion, and organic activity

Identify two ways that climate can influence weathering rates.

Weathering becomes the least at hot, dry climates and the most in warm, moist climate.

Acid Precipitation

precipitation, such as rain, sleet, or snow, that contains a high concentration of acids, often because of the pollution of the atmosphere

Explain how rock composition affects the rate of weathering.

rocks that are formed from calcite are weathered rapidly, while rocks that are cemented by silicate resist weathering such as igneous rocks.

Explain how the composition of parent rock affects soil composition.

rocks that form from feldspar and aluminum minerals weather to form soil That has high concentration of clay, while rocks that are rich in quarts such as granite whether to form sandy soil.

Carbonation

the conversion of a compound into carbonate

Abrasion

the grinding and wearing away of rock surfaces through the mechanical action of other rock or sand particles

Mass movement

the movement of a large mass of sediment or a section of land down a slope

Weathering

the natural process by which atmospheric and environmental agents, such as wind, rain, and temperature changes, disintegrate, and decompose rocks.

Chemical weathering

the process by which rocks break down as a result of chemical reactions

Mechanical weathering

the process by which rocks break down into smaller pieces by physical means

Differential weathering

the process by which softer, less weather-resistant rocks wear away at a faster rate than harder, more weather-resistant rocks do.

Sheet erosion

the process by which water flows over a layer of soil and removes the topsoil

Creep

the slow downhill movement of weathered rock material

Solifluction

the slow, downslope flow of soil saturated with water in areas surrounding glaciers at high elevations


Related study sets

Mental Health - Exam 3 study guide

View Set

Strict Liability and Product Liability

View Set

Chapter 22: The Neurologic System

View Set

business ownership and registration

View Set

Module 2: Network Components, Types, and Connections

View Set

Module 2 Chapter 2: Licensing Law Regulation

View Set

Natural Disasters Final Exam Review

View Set