Chapter 7: Weathering & Soil
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Transcript Chapter 7: Weathering & Soil
CHAPTER 7: WEATHERING & SOIL
Aim: How does weathering change
Earth’s surface?
Weathering
1.
2.
Is surface processes that work to breakdown rocks
into smaller pieces
Smaller loose pieces are sediments
Gravel, Sand, silt and clay describe sizes of
sediments
Size order: gravel, sand, silt, clay (largest to smallest)
Wears mountains down to hills
Produces strange rock formations
2 Types of weathering:
Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Aim: How do mechanical weathering
and chemical weathering differ?
Mechanical Weathering
Occurs when rocks are broken apart by physical
processes
Chemical makeup of the rock stays the same
2 ways this can happen:
1. Plants and Animals
Water and nutrients that collect in the cracks or
rocks enable plants to grow
As the roots grow they enlarge the cracks
Ex: tripped on crack in the sidewalk near a tree
Burrowing animals loosen sediments and push them
to the surface
Sediments reach the surface and other weathering
processes occur
2. Ice Wedging
Occurs in temperate and cold climates
Water enters cracks in rocks and freezes
Pressure builds up in the cracks causing them to
expand and break apart the rock
The ice melts and this happens all over again
The process of freezing and thawing occurs over
and over, especially in mountains
Ice wedging wears mountain peaks
It can also break up roads and highways
Mechanical weathering reduces rocks to smaller
pieces giving the rock more surface area
As the surface area increases more rock is
exposed to water and oxygen which aids in
chemical weathering
Chemical Weathering
Chemical reactions dissolve the minerals in rocks or
change them to different minerals
Changes the chemical composition of the rock
Naturally occurring acids, such as carbonic acid,
react with calcite in limestone
The acid weathers away the limestone to form
caves
Kaolinite clay is created when acids react with
feldspar in granite
Clay is an end product in weathering
Plant acids can dissolve minerals in rocks and
breaks the rocks into smaller pieces
This weathering also enables nutrients to be
available for plants
Oxygen also causes weathering
Oxidation occurs when some materials are
exposed to oxygen and water
Ex: rust
Effects of Climate on Weathering
Chemical weathering is more rapid in warm,
moist climates
Mechanical weathering is more common in dry
climates and in cold climates
Aim: How does soil form?
Formation of Soil
Is a mixture of weathered rock, decayed organic
matter, mineral fragments, water and air
Can take thousands of years to form
Climate, slope, types of rock, types of vegetation
and length of time of weathering affect rock
formation
There are different kinds of soil all over the world
based on these factors
4 steps
1.
2.
Weathering of rocks
Natural acids in rainwater weather the surface of
exposed bedrock
Water can freeze in cracks to break them apart
Plant Growth
Plants begin growing in cracks of rocks
As they grow they continue the process of
breaking down rocks
Then a thin layer of soil begins to form
3.
4.
Living Organsims
Insects & worms live underground with the plant
roots
Their wastes and dead material add organic
matter to the soil
Organic Matter
as organic matter increases, the bedrock
continues to breakdown
This causes the soil layer to thicken
Rich topsoil supports trees and plants with large
root systems
Aim: What are the characteristics of
soil?
Composition of Soil
Most organic matter in soil comes from plants
Animals and microorganisms remains also add
organic matter to the soil
Decayed organic matter over time turns into a
dark-colored material called humus
Humus is a source of nutrients for plants
Animals burrowing in the ground mix the humus
with fragments of rocks
Good quality soil have equal amounts of humus
and weathered rock material
Layers of Soil
Layers of soil are called horizons
All soil horizons form a soil profile
Most soils have 3 horizons
1. A Horizon
top layer-AKA topsoil
In a forest it is covered with litter
Litter helps prevent erosion and evaporation of
water from the soil
Topsoil has more humus and fewer rock and
mineral fragments than the other horizons
Is dark and fertile
2. B Horizon
is below the A horizon
Lighter in color (less organic matter)
Less fertile
Leaching moves minerals that have been
dissolved in water from A horizon down into the B
horizon
3.
C Horizon
Bottom layer
Contains partially weathered rock
Thickest horizon
Not affected by leaching and doesn’t have much
organic material
Coarser sediments
Most like the parent material, which is rock
Aim: What determines the different
types of soil?
Types of Soil
Many different types of soil exist
Climate affects soil
Desert soil has a small amount of organic matter
and is thin
Prairies have thick, dark A horizon soil due to the
organic matter from the large amount of grasses
present
Forest soil has a thinner A horizon than prairies
because trees and leaves don’t supply as much
organic matter as grasses do
The type of rocks soil comes from affects the type
of soil
Sandstone turns into a sandy soil
Clay soil comes from basalt
Type of vegetation that grows in an affects soil
formation
Slope of the land affects soil development
The soil on the slope is poorly developed
Soil in a valley is rich in organic matter
Aim: How has human activity affected
Earth’s soil?
Soil Erosion
Soil erodes when it is moved from the place where it
formed
Water and wind move sediments and cause erosion
More severe on steep slopes
Humans cause erosion to form faster by removing
vegetation (ground cover) which helps increase soil
erosion
Serious problem for agriculture
Soil loses nutrients, which plants need to grow
When soil erodes farmers compensate for the
nutrient lose by buying fertilizer
Forest harvesting also causes soil erosion
Removing forests creates severe problems for the
environment, especially rain forests
Forests are cleared for lumber, farming and
grazing
Overgrazing also increases soil erosion
Sheep and cattle are grazed on land until no
ground cover remains
Without protection from plants that soil is carried
away by wind and water
Too much soil erosion, sediments can damage the
environment
This can cause streams to be covered, eggs from
organisms die, or reduce downstream water quality
Aim: How can humans prevent soil
erosion?
Preventing Soil Erosion
Plant shelter belts of trees-this blocks the strength
of the wind
No-till farming-farmers do not plow the fields
This practice provides cover for the soil all year
round and reduces water runoff and soil erosion
Contour farming used on slopes-this slows the flow
of water down the slope and reduces soil erosion
Terracing-leveled areas are built on slopes (looks
like steps)
This practice reduces runoff by creating flat areas
and shorter sections of slope