Name______
Date of Test ______
Parent Signature______
Unit 7 Weathering and Erosion Study Guide
Standardsfor this unit
#1 Students will investigate the scientific view of how the earth’s surface is formed.
Describe processes that change rocks and the surface of the earth.
Explain the effects of physical processes (plate tectonics, erosion, deposition, volcanic eruption, gravity) on geological features including oceans (composition, currents, and tides).
Describe soil as consisting of weathered rocks and decomposed organic material.
Explain the effects of human activity on the erosion of the earth’s surface.
Describe methods for conserving natural resources such as water, soil, and air.
Questions– students will be asked to answers these questions throughout the unit.
#1 What are the characteristics of weathering
#2 What are the different kinds of weathering processes?
#3 How are weathering and erosion different?
#4 How are weathering and erosion related?
#5 How does the formation of soil relate to the processes of weathering and erosion?
Soil
1. ______is a ______resource.
2. Soil is comprised of a mixture of ______(minerals), ______
______, ______, ______, and
______.
3. A ______is a layer of soil with ______from those of the layer above and below it.
4. Soil is extremely valuable. It is responsible for all of the food that people eat. Soil is considered to be a
______resource because ______
______
5. Although weathered rock is the ______of soil, the ______
and ______of soil and its fertility and resistance to erosion are greatly influenced by plants and other organisms.
6. Decomposing plant and animal material in soil is also known as ______.
7. The three types of soil:
______Soil – has the ______particles does not ______
well and warms and ______quickly.
______Soil – has lots of ______particles and small air pores. Holds ______
and______poorly.
______Soil - consists of ______, ______, and ______. It is
considered to be the perfect soil. It holds ______easily and ______well.
8. The type of soil that is best for drainage is______and the best type for growing crops is ______.
9. Good soil stores ______, provides ______for plants, and provides ______for animals.
Weathering
10. Weathering is the process that ______and ______at Earth’s surface.
11. Weathering is ______
12. The two main types of weathering are ______, and ______
13. Mechanical weathering is breaking down rocks by ______.
14. Mechanical weathering includes ______, ______,
and ______breaking down rocks.
15. Chemical weathering is the breakdown of rocks by ______that change the rocks makeup or composition.
16. Chemical weathering includes ______(soluble rocks and minerals dissolve in acidic waters),
______(feldspars alter to clay), and ______(rusting of iron).
17. ______is the ______weathering that refers to a chemical change to a substance when it interacts with water.
18. ______is the main cause of chemical weathering.
19. The dirt on Mars is red because of ______/______. This is an example of
______.
20. Acid rain causes rocks to ______faster than they would ______.
Erosion
21. Weathering and erosion are two ______processes that tend to
______.
22. Erosion is the ______.
23. Erosion ______weathered rock material.
24. Water, wind and ice are agents of ______.
25. Deposition occurs where the agents (forces) of erosion ______sediment.
26. Dirt from mountain tops can be carried downhill to fill in valleys. This is called ______.
27. Waves erode the ______.
28. What are the three major ways in which erosion moved sediment? ______,
______, & ______
29. Weathering and erosion ______, and deposition ______Earth’s surface.
30. The agent of erosion that carries the largest rocks is ______.
31. ______can carve a valley through rock with a river flowing through it while a
______can carve a valley where only rocks remain. When the glacier retreats or melts it ______
behind a valley ______
32. ______, ______, and ______all combine to move dirt around. Of
the three, ______is responsible for moving the most amount of soil.
Humans Impact
33. Human intervention can______and ______erosion.
34. Human ______, such as reducing forest cover and intensive farming, have ______Earth’s surface.
35. One simple way to keep soil healthy is to ensure that the soil is never bare. That means keeping ______in dirt for as long as possible.
36. Humans can increase erosion through ______or disturbing
the land ______.
37. Man-made structures along the ______often have the unwanted side effect of
______.
38. Man-made structures are sometimes built to ______control erosion.
39. Construction on steep slopes can lead to ______(erosion by gravity), including slumps and landslides
40. Due to misusing soil, ______, ______,
and ______can occur.
41. Mass movement and mass wasting is the ______of large amounts
of surface material caused by ______.
42. Examples of mass movement and mass wasting are ______, ______,
______, ______, ______,
and ______.
43. Creep is a ______mass movement that goes on for ______or even centuries.
You can't ______creep happening but ______, and ______, and
______show where it has taken place. Creep is the ______type of mass movement.
Vocabulary
soil horizon, deposition, erosion, weathering, mechanical weathering, chemical weathering, mass wasting, landslide, mudflow, humus, nonrenewable resources, renewable resources, organic matter