Weathering And Soil Test

Front 1

weathering

Back 1

The chemical and physical processes that break down rock at Earth's surface.

Front 2

erosion

Back 2

The process by which water, ice, wind, or gravity moves weathered rock or soil.

Front 3

uniformitarianism

Back 3

The geologic principal that the same geologic processes that operate today operated in the past to change Earth's surface.

Front 4

mechanical weathering

Back 4

The type of weathering in which rock is physically broken into smaller pieces.

Front 5

abrasion

Back 5

The grinding away of rock by other rock particles carried in water, ice or wind.

Front 6

ice wedging

Back 6

Process that splits rock when water seeps into cracks, then freezes and expands.

Front 7

chemical weathering

Back 7

The process that breaks down rock through chemical changes.

Front 8

oxidation

Back 8

A chemical change in which a substance combines with oxygen, as when iron oxidizes, forming rust.

Front 9

permeable

Back 9

Characteristic of a material that is full of tiny, connected air spaces that water can seep through.

Front 10

soil

Back 10

Composed of a mixture of rock particles, decomposed organic materials, minerals, and water.

Front 11

bedrock

Back 11

The solid layer of rock beneath the soil.

Front 12

humus

Back 12

Dark colored organic (once living) material in soil.

Front 13

fertility

Back 13

A measure of how well soil supports plant growth.

Front 14

loam

Back 14

Rich, fertile soil that is made up of about equal parts of clay, sand, and silt.

Front 15

soil horizon

Back 15

The layer of soil that differs in color and texture from the layers above or below it.

Front 16

topsoil

Back 16

Mixture of humus, clay, and other minerals that forms the crumbly, topmost layer of soil.

Front 17

subsoil

Back 17

The layer of soil beneath the topsoil that contains mostly clay and other minerals.

Front 18

litter

Back 18

The loose layer of dead plant leaves and stems on the surface of the soil.

Front 19

decomposer

Back 19

Soil organism that breaks down the remains of organisms and digests them.

Front 20

sod

Back 20

A thick mass of grass roots and soil.

Front 21

contour plowing

Back 21

Plowing fields across the slope instead of up and down the slope to prevent erosion. It makes little mini dams not rivers.

Front 22

crop rotation

Back 22

The planting of different crops in a field each year to maintain the soil's fertility.

Front 23

Terracing

Back 23

Used by farmers on steep hills--create a series of smaller flatter fliers.

Front 24

No Till Farming

Back 24

Leave old stalks which provide cover from rain. Reduces water runoff and slows erosion.

Front 25

Crop Cover

Back 25

No planting between harvest crops. Planted between harvest crops. Used to replace nutrients and prevent erosion by providing cover from wind and rain.

Front 26

land degradation

Back 26

Soil cannot support plant life as a result of over use from poor farming techniques, and animal grazing.

Front 27

Importance of Soil Conservation

Back 27

Soils need to be protected from nutrient depletion and erosion.