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Questions and Answers
What does sedimentation refer to?
Which of the following elements is most abundant in the Earth's crust?
What are igneous rocks formed from?
Solidification of hot molten material such as magma and lava.
True or False: Metamorphic rocks can form from igneous and sedimentary rocks.
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The process of __________ involves the breakdown of rocks due to physical or chemical processes.
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Match the sedimentary rock with its corresponding characteristic:
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What is soil composed of?
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Which of the following is NOT a factor of soil formation according to Hans Jenny?
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True or False: The C horizon is the layer of soil characterized by organic matter.
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What process leads to soil mixing by animals?
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Study Notes
Weathering and Soil Formation
- Weathering: The breakdown of rocks into sediments through physical and chemical processes.
- Soil Formation: Involves the interaction of weathered materials with organic matter and biotic factors.
Difference between Sedimentation and Lithification
- Sedimentation: Encompasses weathering, transport, and deposition of materials.
- Lithification: Refers to compaction and cementation, transforming unconsolidated materials into consolidated rock.
Types of Rocks
- Petrology: Study focusing on rock composition, structure, and origin.
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Igneous Rocks: Formed from solidification of molten materials.
- Most abundant in Earth's crust (approx. 95%).
- Intrusive Igneous: Slow cooling, coarse texture (e.g., granite, gabbro).
- Extrusive Igneous: Rapid cooling, fine texture (e.g., basalt, rhyolite).
- Sedimentary Rocks: Formed from compaction and cementation of sediments, can originate from biological materials (e.g., coal).
- Metamorphic Rocks: Form from existing rocks altered by heat and pressure (e.g., limestone to marble).
Rock Cycle
- Represents continuous transformation of rock types (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic) over geological time.
Abundant Elements in Earth's Crust
- Oxygen (46.6%)
- Silicon (27.72%)
- Aluminum (8.13%)
- Iron (5.00%)
- Calcium (3.63%)
- Sodium (2.83%)
- Potassium (2.59%)
- Magnesium (2.09%)
- Other elements (1.41%)
Minerals and Mineralogy
- Minerals: Naturally occurring inorganic substances with a defined structure and composition (e.g., kaolinite).
- Mineralogy: Study of mineral structures and properties.
Weathering Processes
- Physical Weathering: Breakdown by physical forces (e.g., freeze-thaw, thermal expansion).
- Chemical Weathering: Alters minerals through chemical reactions (e.g., hydrolysis, oxidation).
- Biological Weathering: Involves living organisms facilitating rock breakdown (e.g., root wedging).
Soil Definition and Horizons
- Soil: A natural body composed of minerals, organic matter, liquid, and gases, distinguished by horizons.
- O Horizon: Organic layer, various decomposition stages.
- A Horizon: Topsoil enriched with organic material.
- E Horizon: Zone of eluviation, lighter in color due to leached materials.
- B Horizon: Subsoil, accumulation of leached materials.
- C Horizon: Partially weathered parent material.
- R Horizon: Unweathered bedrock.
Factors of Soil Formation (CLORPT)
- Climate: Affects weathering rates and soil formation.
- Organic matter: Contributes to nutrient availability and soil structure.
- Relief/Topography: Influences erosion and sediment deposition.
- Parent Material: Base material from which soil develops.
- Time: Duration impacts horizon development and soil maturity.
Soil Horizonation and Processes
- Horizonation: Differentiation of initial materials into distinct soil profiles through processes like eluviation and illuviation.
- Pedoturbation: Soil mixing involving organisms and environmental factors.
General Processes of Soil Formation
- Addition: Enrichment through organic and inorganic inputs.
- Removal: Erosion and leaching processes leading to material loss.
- Transformation: Decomposition, synthesis, and mineralization affecting soil composition.
Key Soil Concepts
- Concretions: Compact, cemented masses of mineral matter in soil.
- Hectare Furrow Slice: A measure representing soil mass for agricultural assessments.### Soil Terminology
- Pedon: The smallest unit of soil that can be recognized as an individual, influenced by activities of plants, animals, humans, and physical processes such as freeze-thaw cycles and leaching.
- Polypedon: A collection of multiple homogeneous pedons, forming a larger soil unit.
Soil Composition and Processes
- Saprolite: Chemically weathered rock that remains in situ; retains the structure of the original rock.
- Hardening: A process leading to a reduction in the volume of voids caused by collapse, compaction, and the filling of voids with materials like fine earth and carbonates.
Soil Horizons and Profiles
- Soil Horizon: A layer parallel to the soil surface characterized by unique physical, chemical, and biological properties that differ from adjacent layers.
- Soil Profile: A vertical section that shows all soil materials altered by chemical, physical, and biological processes; made up of distinct soil horizons.
Soil Chemical Changes
- Salinization: The buildup of soluble salts, including sulfates and chlorides of calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium, commonly found in salic horizons.
- Alkalization/Solonization: The process of sodium ion accumulation on exchange sites within the soil.
- Dealkalization/Solodization: The leaching process that removes sodium ions and salts from nitric horizons.
- Podzolization/Silication: Involves the chemical movement of aluminum and iron, contributing to soil profile development.
Transitional Horizons
- Transitional Horizon: A layer that exhibits characteristics of two distinct horizons, with one horizon being more dominant (for example, an AB horizon where characteristics of A are more pronounced than B).
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Description
This quiz explores the processes of weathering and soil formation, focusing on the differences between sedimentation and lithification. Understand key terms and concepts in petrology, including the steps involved in sedimentation and the study of rocks.
