WEATHERING

There are numerous processes that the Earth’s surface.

·  - The processes that rock into smaller pieces.

·  - The of rock from one place to another.

·  - The of eroded rock fragments.

weathering occurs when rocks are broken apart changing the structure of the rocks.

·  is the peeling off of of rock due to the release of .

·  occurs when water seeps into in rocks and as it freezes, causing the rock to crack or break further.

·  occurs when rocks become by rolling or grinding against one another.

·  occurs when work their way into in rocks and split the rocks apart as the roots grow.

·  Animals through soil, creating pathways for air and water below the surface.

weathering occurs when rocks are broken down by changes in the rock.

·  will or be by some minerals in rocks, weakening the rock.

·  occurs when water dissolves .

·  occurs when combines with elements in rocks to form compounds that can be more easily broken down.

·  Some plant roots give off that dissolve minerals.

Factors that affect the of the weathering processes.

·  The most common of weathering is , which is very important in weathering.

·  The the temperatures, the more chemical weathering occurs. Therefore, more weathering occurs in climates.

·  As rocks break down, more is created, thus the weathering process.

·  of minerals in the rock.

·  weathering - different rock in the same rock formation may weather at different , creating unique (cap rocks, mesas, buttes, hoodoos and arches).

Soil – the product of the weathering process that is a mixture of particles, minerals, , water, and air.

·  Humus is decayed material created by organisms (called ) that break down dead organisms. Examples of decomposers include: .

·  Soil refers to the of the soil particles (gravel, sand, silt, and clay).

·  are soils that have amounts of sand, silt and clay in them and are excellent for .

·  Soils are classified into layers called .

o  The is the top layer composed mostly of , and minerals. This layer is often referred to as .

o  Next is the , also called , which contains and minerals away from the A-horizon and amounts of humus.

o  The is the layer of partially weathered located directly above solid bedrock.

Soil are based on .

·  – little on top of (permanently soil).

·  - humus, mineral content, and moisture.

·  soils form in climates.

·  soils are good for and the type we have in Central Illinois and are thick with high content.

·  soils are found in warm and moist climates with humus.

·  form in hot and moist climates and have low content.

·  soils are thin and rocky.

is the act of protecting soil from and destruction. There are farming techniques used to the amount and quality of the .

·  is a method of that leave remnants on the surface all year, thus the amount of exposed soil.

·  (or manure) – green that reduce erosion and add to the soil.

·  involves planting rows of crops.

·  are channels that are planted with to slow down the water therefore slowing erosion.

·  are areas cut into the sloping land to the water runoff.

·  are rows of or that slow the wind, thus the amount of the wind can carry.

·  are strips of vegetation planted at the edges of the fields (usually ).

·  farming uses the practice of planting rows of crops to the of the land to keep runoff from gaining .

·  Crop involves planting different crops in the soil than the year before. Different crops use different and therefore allow the soil to be replenished with nutrients.