Types of Rocks
________ metamorphic rocks are formed from intense pressure that creates bands (stripes) in the rocks crystalline structure.
EX. Gneiss
Foliated
This type of weathering DOES NOT change the chemical composition of a rock
A mass movement of soil down a slope is called what?
Landslide
Roughly 45% of soil is made of what?
Mineral Matter
Name a form of soil degradation (there can be multiple answers)
Erosion, Nutrient Loss, Pollution, Acid Rain
What SPECIFIC type of rock forms from magma?
Intrusive Igneous Rock
The more _______ a rock has, the faster it will weather.
Surface Area
What is the cause of landslides?
Gravity
What is humus?
This method of reducing soil erosion includes building a stair-like structure into the side of a mountain to reduce the overall slope of the mountain.
Terracing
A sedimentary rock near a running water source will likely have what features?
Ripple Marks
Weathering and erosion will occur the SLOWEST in what type of environment?
Cold & Dry
Which type of mass movement occurs the SLOWEST?
Creep
Compared to sand: the particle size, porosity, and permeability of clay is _______.
Smaller
How do plant roots help slow soil erosion?
Plant roots hold soil together.
Granite's texture can be described as coarse grained. Which means it cooled _____ and _____.
slowly; inside the Earth
Digestive liquids ooze from a parasitic plant on to a rock and you notice the rock has changed color and appears smoother where the liquid was touching. What type of weathering did you witness?
Chemical Weathering
A volcano eruption in Pompeii, Italy caused the soil in the area to become very unstable. The next day a violent rainstorm flooded nearby rivers and the unstable soil mixed with the river water to create a violent ________.
Mudflow
The climate in the Congo is very warm and wet. Would this type of climate have a large or small effect on soil formation in the area?
Large
A farmer has been growing corn for years, but this year he notices his corn looks sickly and is not growing well. He determines there must not be enough nitrogen in the soil. How would the farmer solve this issue of nutrient loss?
Crop Rotation
A metamorphic and a sedimentary may have the same chemical makeup but are classified as different rocks. Why might this be?
Metamorphic rocks are formed from heat and pressure, sedimentary rocks are formed from compaction and cementation.
The topography of the Appalachians is very different from the topography of the Rockies. What specific type of weathering/erosion process would have the greatest effect on a steep mountain slope?
Running Water
Humans can destabilize soil formations, making the soil more likely to experience a mass movement. How might humans destabilize soil? (there could be many answers to this question)
Home/road construction on the side of a mountain.
Over time the slope angle of a mountain decreases due to erosion. What effect would this decreased slope angle have on the formation of soil?
Soil formation will increase
Farmer Furr's field has been losing a lot of topsoil due to erosion. Thankfully his field is only slightly sloped, what farming method should he use to slow the erosion?
Contour Plowing