Rocks
Describe what topsoil is
What is the A Layer which contains organic matter mixed with minerals. Nutrient dense layer
What scale is used to describe minerals hardness?
Mohs hardness scale
Describe how the speed of cooling influences crystal size
Slowly - it make large crystals.
Quickly - it makes small crystals.
VERY quickly - no crystals form.
What is streambank erosion?
Water erosion on the sides of a stream over time.
Describe what the eluviation layer is
The E layer in soil horizon. Dry and barren because nutrients have leached down
Which mineral property is how light reflects off of it?
Luster
What plate boundary pushes plates towards each other and forms volcanoes and mountains?
Convergent
What is gully?
Large channels from water erosion that cannot be fixed by tilling
Describe what the bedrock layer is
Layer R in the soil horizon. Solid parent material
Name three items extracted from mines
Gold, copper, and iron
Which boundary causes faults and earthquakes?
Transform
What is saltation erosion?
Wind erosion which causes grains of soil to bounce across the ground.
What does a foliated metamorphic rock reflect?
What is the direction in which pressure was applied
What are 3 ways humans can destroy topsoil?
What is Deforestation, Monoculture, Tilling, Use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, Salinization
Name three items extracted from quarries
Sand, gravel, and rocks
Which plate boundary can form mid ocean ridges?
Divergent (plates pull apart, magma rises up and solidifies)
What is suspension erosion?
A type of wind erosion when soil moves through the air like in a dust storm. (think dust bowl)
List two igneous rocks, two metamorphic, and two sedimentary
Basalt, Granite, Gabbro
Limestone, Sandstone, Coal, Mudstone
Marble, Slate, Gneiss, Schist
Name and describe TWO types of farming methods used to conserve soil
Conservation tillage – farmers disturb soil and plant cover as little as possible
Crop rotation – farmers plant different crops in a field every year
Contour plowing – farmers plant fields along the curves of a slope
Conservation buffers –waterways and riparian buffers promote biodiversity
Windbreaks – rows of trees or shrubs are used to prevent wind erosion
Terracing – a stair step effect is created to slow water runoff
Wetlands – catch and hold water to slow soil erosion
What problems can we expect in the future regarding mineral supply and cost?
Mineral supplies will decrease; cost will increase. This is because we are extracting at such high levels
What is the difference between rill and ephemeral water erosion?
Rill is channels that forming runoff which are randomly located and ephemeral is channels that form in the same place every year