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science/flashcards
voc - chapter 8 section 1 & 2
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Weathering | a process that breaks down rock and other substances at Earth's surface |
| erosion | the removal of rock particles by wind, water, ice or gravity |
| unifomitarianism | principle states - that the same process that operated today operated in the past. |
| mechanical weathering | type of weathering in which rock is physically broken into smaller pieces |
| abrasion | refers to the grinding away of rock by rock particles carried by water, ice, wind or gravity |
| ice wedging | wedges of ice in rocks widen and deepen cracks |
| chemical weathering | the process that breaks down rock through chemical changes |
| oxidation | chemical change when combined with oxygen - when iron oxidizes it turns to rust |
| permeable | material full of tiny connected air spaces that allow water to seep through it. |
| soil | loose weathered material on Earth's surface in which plants grow |
| bedrock | solid layer of rock beneath the soil |
| humus | a dark - colored substance that forms a s plant and animal remains decay. |
| fertility | how well the soil supports plant growth |
| loam | soil that is made up of equal parts of clay, sand and silt |
| soil horizon | a layer of soil that differs in color and texture from the layers above or below it |
| topsoil | (A Horizon) - a crumbly, dark brown soil that is a mixture of humus, clay and other minerals |
| subsoil | (B Horizon) - usually consists of clay and other particles washed down from the Ahorizon, but little humus |
| litter | loose layer of dead plant leaves and stems on the surface of the soil |
| decomposer | soil organism that breaks down the remains of organisms and digest them |