Soil Formation

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms related to soil formation and the processes involved, including types of weathering, rock types, and soil properties.

Weathering

The action of the weather conditions in altering the color, texture, composition, or form of exposed objects.

Physical Weathering

Breakdown or disintegration of larger rocks or rock fragments into smaller particles by physical forces.

Chemical Weathering

Alteration and/or breakdown of initial mineral compounds through chemical reactions.

Igneous Rock

Formed from the cooling of molten magma.

Sedimentary Rock

Formed from the reconsolidation of sediments through deposition and cementation.

Metamorphic Rock

Formed when igneous or sedimentary rocks are altered under high heat and pressure conditions.

Soil

Typically less than 0.1 km thick, formed from the weathering of rocks.

Mafic Minerals

Minerals that have higher iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), and calcium (Ca) content, making them denser.

Felsic Minerals

Minerals that are rich in silicon and aluminum, typically lighter in color.

Biota

Organisms such as native vegetation, microbes, and soil animals that influence soil properties.

Parent Material

The geological material from which soils develop, influenced by various environmental factors.

Effective Precipitation

The amount of rain/snow/hail reaching parent materials, which affects soil formation.

Jenny Equation

An equation that expresses soil properties as a function of climate, organisms, relief, parent materials, and time.

Regolith

A layer of loose, heterogeneous material covering solid rock.

Organic Ligand Complexation

A chemical weathering reaction where electronegative compounds surround and bond to a metal.

Hydrolysis

The breakdown of chemical bonds in minerals by water.

Bioturbation

The mixing of soil by organisms, such as earthworms, which affects soil characteristics.