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Definition
| A weak acid (H2CO3) that forms from the reaction of water and carbon dioxide. Most rain water is a very weak carbonic acid solution formed by the reaction of rain with small amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. |
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Term
Chemical Weathering [image] |
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Definition
| The breaking down of surface rock material by solution or chemical alteration. Common alteration processes are oxidation and hydrolysis. |
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Definition
| Slow, often invisible, movement of soil down a slope. |
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Definition
| A general term applied to the wearing away and movement of earth materials by gravity, wind, water and ice. |
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Definition
| A physical weathering process in which concentric layers of rock are removed from an outcrop. |
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Definition
| A chemical reaction involving water that results in the breakdown of mineral material. |
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Definition
Mechanical weathering process in which water freezing in cracks of rocks wedges rocks apart. |
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Definition
| A sudden movement of a mass of bedrock or loose rock down the slope of a hill, mountain, or a cliff. |
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Definition
| A general term used for any downslope movement of rock, soil, snow or ice under the influence of gravity. Includes: landslides, creep, rock falls and avalanches. |
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Term
Mechanical Weathering [image] |
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Definition
A general term applied to a variety of weathering processes that result in the particle size reduction of rock materials with no change in composition. Frost action, salt crystal growth and pressure relief fracturing are examples. Also known as physical weathering. |
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Definition
| A type of mass movement composed mainly of clay-size materials with a high enough water content that it flows readily. |
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Definition
| A chemical reaction in which substances combine with oxygen. For example, the combination of iron with oxygen to form an iron oxide. |
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Definition
| Rock material from which a soil is formed. |
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Definition
| Soil that has the local bedrock as its parent material. |
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Definition
| Loose, weathered rock and organic material in which plants with roots can grow. |
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Definition
| Removal of valueable topsoil by wind or moving water. |
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Term
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Definition
| Cross section of soil layers above the parent material, usually consisting of th A-, B-, and C- horizons. |
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Definition
| the B- horizon of soil that contains clay and iron oxides washed from the topsoil. |
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Definition
| The A- horizon of soil; contains organic material, or humus, that forms from decayed plant and animail matters |
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Term
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Definition
Soil that formed from parent material left by winds, rivers, or glaciers or soil that itself was moved from its original location. |
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