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6th Unit 4
Weathering, Erosion and Soil Key Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| weathering | any of the chemical or mechanical processes by which rocks exposed to the weather undergo changes in character and break down |
| mechanical weathering | any of the destructive effects of the atmosphere and the exposure of rocks to the extremes of the surface |
| chemical weathering | chemical effects of water, carbon dioxide, and oxygen attacking and destroying the minerals that are near the surface of the Earth |
| frost wedging | a collective term for several mechanical weathering processes induced by stresses created by the freezing of water into ice. |
| exfoliation | the sheeting of rocks and their disintegration, thought to be due to thermal expansion, at least on small structures |
| oxidation | the absorption by a mineral of one or more oxygen ions. The major type of chemical weathering, particularly in rocks containing iron |
| acid rain | acid precipitation falling as rain |
| weathering rates | a measurement of the amount of weathering over a given time period |
| surface area | measurement of the extent of the area covered by a surface |
| topography | detailed, precise description of a place or region |
| climate | the meteorological conditions, including temperature, precipitation, and wind, that characteristically prevail in a particular region |
| soil | the top layer of the Earth's surface, consisting or rock and mineral particles mixed with organic matter |
| soil profile | the vertical section of soil showing the nature and sequence of the various layers, as developed by deposition or weathering, or both |
| soil horizon | a layer of soil, approximately horizontal, which differs in structure and composition from the adjacent layers |
| humus | the amorphous, ordinarily dark colored, colloidal matter in soil; a complex of the fractions of organic matter of plant, animal, and microbial origin that are most resistant to decomposition |
| regolith | the layer of loose rock resting on bedrock, constituting the surface of most land |
| parent bedrock | the original rock from which something else was formed |
| deposition | the dropping of material which has been picked up and transported by wind, water, or ice |
| erosion | a group of natural processes, including weathering, dissolution, abrasion, corrosion, and transportation, by which material is worn away from the Earth's surface |
| rill erosion | the formation of numerous, closely spaced rills due to the uneven removal of surface soil by stream-lets of running water |
| gully erosion | erosion of soil by running water |
| wave erosion | erosion of the ocean floor by sediment moved by ocean waves |
| glacial erosion | movement of soil or rock from one point to another by the action of the moving ice of a glacier |
| dust bowl | a region reduced to aridity by drought and dust storms |
| mass movement | the movement downslope of rock fragments and soil under the influence of gravity |
| slides | a form of mass movement in which material slides in a relatively straight plane |
| flows | the mass movement of material held in suspension by water |
| creeps | the slow movement of rock debris and soil down a weathered slope |
| abrasion | the process of wearing down or rubbing away by means of friction |
| deflation | the erosion of soil by the wind |
| ventifact | a stone that has been shaped, polished, or faceted by wind-driven sand |
| deforestation | the act process of removing trees from or clearing a forest |
| erosion | a group of natural processes, including weathering, dissolution, abrasion, corrosion, and transportation, by which material is worn away from the Earth's surface |
| tillage erosion | erosion that moves soil from the top of the field downward, exposing subsoil at the crest while burying soil at the bottom |
| contour farming | cultivation of land along lines connecting points of equal elevation, to prevent water erosion |
| slash and burn | a form of agriculture in which an area of forest is cleared by cutting and burning, and is then planted, usually for several seasons, before being left to return to forest |
| fallowing | plowed but left unseeded during a growing season |
| soil conservation | management of soil to prevent or reduce soil erosion and depletion by wind and water |
| terracing | a method of shaping land to control erosion on slopes of rolling land used for cropping and other purposes |
| strip cropping | the growing of a cultivated crop, such as cotton, and a sod-forming crop, such as alfalfa, in alternating strips following the contour of the land, in order to minimize erosion |
| contour plowing | farming practice of plowing across a slope following its elevation contour lines |
| no-till farming | cultivation technique in which the soil is disturbed only along the slit or hole into which seeds are planted |
| wind breaks | a hedge, fence, or row of trees serving to lessen or break the force of the wind |
| ground cover | a low-growing dense growth of plants planted to prevent soil erosion in areas where turf is difficult to grow, as in deep shade, or on a steep slope |
Created by:
darrin_evans
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