| A | B |
|---|
| mechanical weathering | break down of rocks without changing the chemical composition |
| chemical weathering | weathering in which the chemical compositions is altered & changed |
| exfoliation | Mechanical weathering in which the outer layer peels off in extreme heat/cold |
| oxidation | chemical weathering due to exposure to water & oxygen |
| ice wedging | rocks forced apart by ice /cold |
| plant-animal action/temperature change/water-wind action | other forms of mechanical weathering |
| soil | mixture of weathered rock & organic matter |
| horizon | each layer in a soil profile |
| humus | decayed organic matter of upper layer |
| soil profile | The A, B, & C layers of soil |
| leaching | the process that carries dissolved material downward in soil |
| desertification | desert formation of weathered material |
| climate | fifty year average of a weather pattern |
| abrasion | gravity-wind-water causes rocks to rub against each other |
| carbonation | weak acid solution breaks down marbles & limestones |
| sulfuric acid | strong acid that dissolves rocks & metals/causes acid rain |
| regolith | all the loose weathered material that covers the surface of the earth |
| parent rock | original rock that breaks up to form soil |
| plant nutrients | N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S |
| forest soil | made of podsol/not fertile because of thin topsoil |
| prairie soil | fertile & very productive soil/heartland region of U.S. |
| loess | fine -grained angular particles carried by glaciers to Midwest |
| grassland soils | a whitish look containing calcium with thick topsoil& decaying plants |
| deserts soils | has very little organic matter & rich in minerals |
| mountains soils | rocky & thin usually on incline containing weathered chunks of rocks |
| tundra soil | waterlogged & have layers of undecayed plant material |
| permafrost | permanently frozen soil that is deep in tundra region |
| tropical soils | thick layers of leached clays, rustly red in color |
| laterite | red colored soils due to iron oxide |
