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Earth surface
chapter 1
Term | Definition |
---|---|
uniformitarianism | the theory that changes in the earth's crust during geological history have resulted from the action of continuous and uniform processes. |
erosion | he process of eroding or being eroded by wind, water, or other natural agents. |
weathering | wear away or change the appearance or texture of (something) by long exposure to the air. |
mechanical weather | The type of weathering in which the rock is physically broken into smaller pieces. |
chemical weathering | the erosion or disintegration of rocks, building materials, etc., caused by chemical reactions (chiefly with water and substances dissolved in it) rather than by mechanical processes. |
abrasion | the process of scraping or wearing something away. |
frost wedging | Process that splits rocks when water seeps into cracks, then freezes and expands. |
oxidation | A chemical change in which substance combines with oxygen, as when iron oxidizes forming rust. |
permeable | Characteristics of a material that contains connected air spaces, or pore that water can seep through easily. |
soil | the upper layer of earth in which plants grow, a black or dark brown material typically consisting of a mixture of organic remains, clay, and rock particles. |
bed rock | Rock that makes the earths crust; also the solid rock layer beneath the soil. |
humus | the organic component of soil, formed by the decomposition of leaves and other plant material by soil microorganisms. |
fertility | a measure of how well soil supports plat growth. |
loam | rich fertile soil that is mad up of about equal parts of clay, sand, and silt. |
pH scale | a range of values used to indicate how acidic or basic a substance is; express the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution. |
soil horizon | a layer of soil that differs in color and texture from the layers above and below it |
top soil | the top layer of soil. |
subsoil | the soil lying immediately under the surface soil. |
decomposer | an organism that get energy by breaking down wastes and dead organism, and returns the materials to the soil and water. |
natural resources | Anything naturally occurring in the environment that humans use. |
soil conservation | the management of soil to limit its destruction. |
crop rotation | the panting of different crops each year to maintain the soils fertility. |
contour plowing | plowing the fields along the curves of a slope to prevent soil loss. |
conservation plowing | soil conservation method in which weeds and dead stalks from the previous years crops are plowed into the ground. |