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40% sand, 40% silt, 20% clay
Farmers value b/c it retains and transmit moisture and nutrients that are easily accessible to plants
Ideal texture for growing most crops
high porosity
large pores allow water to drain from these soils fast and nutrients are quickly leached out from plants
make poor agricultural soils
it is typically found north of the tree line
it is the dominant soil in the Arctic Archipelago and around Hudson Bay
this soil type is found where the mean annual temperature is below 0 degrees Celsius and where continuous permafrost is common
Soil of Canada's agricultural bread basket; the Prairies
Have thick, dark A horizons, rich in organic matter
Roots of grasses provide material for decomposition
It is most commonly found in cool, moist climates (Canadian Shield) and is light grey in colour.
it is commonly associated with the boreal forest
moisture easily percolates downward through this soil due to the large pore spaces
Forest soil of cooler, drier locations
Associated with sandy, glacial deposits
Tend to be somewhat acidic
Thick, brown horizon, not as well developed as the podzols (no distinct Ae)
Called histosols in other countries
Accumulation of organic matter (peat) in water-logged soils
Large amount of organic matter (high in carbon) means organic soils are of great interest to climate science!
Not all of Canada has abundant soils
Glacial ice and exposed bedrock occur in many locations across Canada
This includes portions of central Ontario dominated by exposed Canadian Shield bedrock
Soil can hold lots of carbon than those in living biomass
Removal of vegetation cover that holds soil in place can result in oxidation of soil carbon
when carbon is exposed to air= oxidizes=CO2 and CH4 (methane)
Water can pass through easily
Straight channels allow water to flow easily
Angular channels slow the flow between pores
how fast water infiltrates the soil
Depends on the permeability of the soil
High permeability= high infiltration rates
is a sediment or rock layer that is highly porous but not permeable. Ex. clay
Have low or no porosity or permeability
Limit or prevent water movement
Water fed into our homes is at a higher elevation and gravity forces the water through the pipes that lead into our homes and faucets
Water gushes from our faucets b/c our homes lie below the potentiometric surface created by the elevation of the water supply
the elevation to which hydraulic pressure will push water in pipes or wells
Structures higher than the potentiometric surface have no water pressure
a hole dug or drilled by people to gain access to groundwater When a well is drilled downward into the zone of saturation, it fills with water up to the height of the water table.
The tops of most wells lie above the potentiometric surface of the aquifer, so pumps (or buckets) must be used to lift the water up out of the well
is a well that has been drilled through an aquiclude into a confined aquifer below that may gush water
No pumping required b/c they are below the potentiometric surface of the recharge area of the aquifer
May form from where sedimentary rocks are tilted and permeable and impermeable layers of rocks intersect the ground surface, forming a confined aquifer the recharge area creates hydraulic pressure that pushes water through the aquifer, much as a water tower pushes water through the pipes of a building
the contamination of a well by salt water as a result of groundwater overdraft
In coastal regions, a freshwater aquifer may lie on top of salty groundwater. Freshwater is relatively less dense and light compared to saltwater, so the freshwater remains above the salt water.
Groundwater overdraft that removes freshwater from the aquifer may cause the salty water to migrate higher in the aquifer and contaminate wells
Is permanent and irreversible
a gradual settling or sudden sinking of the Earth's surface owing to subsurface movement of earth materials
When water is removed, these pores can collapse under the weight of the sediments.
When this happens, the elevation of the land surface drops as the sediments are compacted
Most cases, once the pores in the aquifer collapse, they can no longer hold water, and the aquifer is lost permanently.
is the process of extracting groundwater from areas where there is little to no groundwater recharge
Is fossil groundwater, water that entered the aquifer long ago and is no longer being replenished
Most came from now melted Laurentide ice sheet that covered much of NA
The deeper the water table becomes, the more energy and money is required to pump water b/c it has a longer way to go to reach the surface
a cloud of pollution that migrates through the aquifer away from its source
Any pollutants that enter an aquifer stay there for centuries or longer
Loss of aquifer through groundwater pollution is in most cases permanent
