Soil Formation Factors
The most important factor in soil formation
What is Climate?
Breaks down rocks by changing their chemical composition
What is Chemical Weathering?
Top layer, made of lots organic matter
What is O Layer?
4 agents of erosion
What is Wind, Water, Gravity, and Glaciers?
When smaller sediments rub against larger rocks
What is Abrasion?
More of this, thicker soil
What is Time?
Breaks down rocks Physically
What is Mechanical Weathering?
Bedrock
What is D Layer?
When mud slowly moves down a slope
What is Creep?
When water freezes and expands in a rock and then thaws
What is Frost Wedging?
How does slope affect soil formation
What is The steeper the slope, the thicker the soil?
Can cause both Physical and Chemical Weathering
What is Biological activity?
Less Organic matter, lighter soil, slightly bigger rocks
What is B Layer?
Cuts small channels
What is Rill Erosion?
When a rock cracks as it approaches the surface from underground
What is Release of Pressure?
Material the soil came from
What is Parent Rock/Material?
Carbonic, Sulfuric, and Nitric acids are found in this form of chemical weathering
What is Acid Precipitation?
Topsoil, full of organic matter
What is A Layer?
When Glaciers pick up rocks
What is Plucking?
When rocks become, soft, crumbly, and turn red or brown
What is Oxidation?
Organism that binds soil together
What is Humus?
When the temperature changes from very hot to cold in a short period of time and causes cracks in rocks to form
What is Thermal Expansion?
Many large rocks
What is C Layer?
Causes the channels to become deeper and wider
What is Gully Erosion?
How water weathers rocks chemically
What is dissolution?