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Weathering and Soil Formation

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Question
Answer
Movement of rock particles by wind, water, ice or gravity   erosion  
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Breaking down of rock and other substances at Earth's surface   weathering  
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Types of Weathering   mechanical and chemical  
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The type of weathering in which rock is physically broken into smaller pieces   mechanical weathering  
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List the forces of mechanical weathering   freezing, thawing, release of pressure, growth of plants, action of animals  
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Grinding away of rock by rock particles carried by water, ice, wind or gravity   abrasion  
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Water seeps into cracks, ice widens deepens cracks, ice widens cracks, cracks expand with repeated thawing   the cycle for ice wedging  
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The process that breaks down rock through chemical changes is   chemical weathering  
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List the agents of chemical weathering   water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, living organisms, acid rain  
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True or false? Chemical weathering produces rock particles with the same mineral makeup as the rock they came from   false  
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In chemical weathering what causes iron to rust?   oxygen  
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In chemical weathering what is caused by pollution?   acid rain  
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In chemical weathering what is the most important agent?   water  
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In chemical weathering what does carbonic acid form from?   carbon dioxide  
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In chemical weathering, lichens are one example of what?   living organisms  
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True or False? Water weathers rock by dissolving it.   true  
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Oxygen weathers rock through a process called   oxidation  
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List two kinds of rock that are easily weathered by carbonic acid   marble and limestone  
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How do plants dissolve rock?   as plant roots grow, they produce weak acids that slowly dissolve rock  
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The most important factors that determine the rate of weathering are   type of rock and climate  
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True or False? The minerals that make up a rock determine how fast it weathers.   true  
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A rock that is full of tiny, connected air spaces is said to be   permeable  
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Why does a permeable rock weather chemically at a fast rate?   as water seeps through the spaces in the rock, it removes dissolved material formed by weathering  
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Why does chemical weathering occur more quickly in a hot climate?   chemical reactions occur faster at higher temperatures  
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The loose, weathered material on Earth's surface in which plants can grow is   soil  
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How does soil form?   rock is broken down by weathering and mixes with other materials on the surface  
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The solid layer of rock beneath the soil is called   bedrock  
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What two factors determine the type of rock particles and minerals in any given soil?   the bedrock was weathered to form the soil and type of weathering. sandsilt clay make up the portion of soil that comes from weathered rock.  
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List three types of weathered rock particles found in soil   clay, sand, and silt  
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The decayed organic material in soil is called   humus  
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List soil particles from largest to smallest   gravel, sand, silt, and clay  
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Soil that is made up of about equal parts of clay, sand and silt is called   loam  
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Match the soil horizon with its makeup   a:Topsoil, b:Subsoil, c:Rock Particles  
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Label each of the soil horizons shown in the three diagrams   c: a: b:  
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True or False about the rate of soil formation. It is faster in areas that are cold.   false  
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T or F about the rate of soil formation. It is slower in areas that are dry.   true  
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T or F about the rate of soil formation. It is faster with limestone than granite.   true  
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T or F about the rate of soil formation. It is unaffected by the type of rock being weathered.   false  
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How do soil organisms improve soil?   they mix the soil and make spaces in them for air and water. other soil organisms make humus, the material that makes soil fertile  
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T or F? Animals contribute most of the organic remains that form humus.   false  
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As plants hsed leaves, they form a loose layer called   litter  
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Soil organisms that turn dead organic matter into humus are called   decompositors  
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List the main soil decomposers   fungi, protists, worms, bacteria  
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What are examples of fungi?   molds and mushrooms  
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T or F? Earthworms do most of the work of mixing humus with other materials in soil.   true  
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How can burrowing mammals improve soil?   they add nitrogen to soil when they exert waste and break up hard compacted soil and mix humus through it by aerating it  
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The thick mass of tough roots at the surface of the soil is called   sod  
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In the world, prairie soils are the most what type of soil?   fertile  
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Why is soil one of Earth's most valuable resources?   because everything that lives on land depends directly or indirectly on soil  
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T or F? Soil is a nonrenewable resource   false  
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T or F? Soil formation takes a long time   true  
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T or F? Fertile soil is plentiful   false  
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T or F? Half of Earth has soils good for farming   false  
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Four reasons why farming is difficult in many areas on Earth   steep slopes, low soil fertility, lack of water, short growing season  
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How can soil be damaged?   can be exhausted and lose fertility  
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How can soil be lost?   erosion by wind and water  
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Parts of Oklahoma and surrounding states that lost soil in the 1930's were called the   dust bowl  
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As you go east to west on the Great Plains, the amount of rainfall increases or decreases steadily?   decreases  
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Why did the Dust Bowl occur?   plowing removed the grass from the Great Plains and exposed the soil, in times of drought, topsoil quickly dried and turned to dust and blew away  
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Where did the soil lost from the Dust Bowl end up?   in the Atlantic Ocean  
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In the southern Plains states, the drought and topsoil loss lasted until when?   1938  
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The management of soil to prevent its destruction is referred to as   soil conservation  
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What two ways are there to conserve soil?   contour plowing and conservation plowing  
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The practice of plowing fields along the curve of a slope is called   contour plowing  
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A method of farming that disturbs the soil and its plant cover as little as possible is called   conservation plowing  
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Process of moving fragments of rock and soil   erosion  
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Solid layer of rock beneath soil   bedrock  
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Thick mass of grass roots and soil   sod  
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Grinding away of rock by rock particles   abrasion  
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Loose layer of dead plant material on the soil surface   litter  
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Organisms that break down wastes and dead organisms   decomposers  
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Organic material in soil   humus  
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Processes that break down rock at Earth's surface   weathering  
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Topmost layer of soil   topsoil  
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Soil with about equal parts of clay, sand and silt   loam  
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Layer of soil beneath the topsoid   subsoil  
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Loose, weathered material in which plants can grow   soil  
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