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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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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
| The slowest form of mass movement, measured in millimeters or centimeters per year and occurring on virtually all slopes. cross bed A bed made up of particles dropped from a moving current, as of wind or water, and marked by a downward slope that indicates the direction of the current that deposited them. |
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Definition
| The process by which particles of rock and soil are loosened, as by weathering, and then transported elsewhere, as by wind, water, ice, or gravity. |
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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
| A type of mechanical weathering in which rocks are broken by the expansion of water as it freezes in joints, pores, or bedding planes. Synonymous with frost wedging. |
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Definition
| A downslope movement of rock and soil over a failure surface and under the influence of gravity. Slumps, earthflows, debris flows and debris slides are examples. |
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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
| The source from which a given soil is chiefly derived, generally consisting of bedrock or sediment. |
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Definition
The soil that is remaining after the soluble elements have been dissolved
- residual clay |
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Definition
| The top few meters of regolith, generally including some organic matter derived from plants. |
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Definition
| The detachment and movement of topsoil by the action of wind and flowing water. |
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Definition
| A vertical section of a soil, showing horizons and parent material. |
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Definition
| The layer or bed of earth beneath the topsoil. |
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Definition
| The upper part of the soil. |
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Definition
| Soil not formed from the local rock but from parent material brought in from some other region and deposited, usually by running water, wind, or ... |
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Term
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Definition
| The process by which exposure to atmospheric agents, such as air or moisture, causes rocks and minerals to break down. This process takes place at or near the Earth's surface. Weathering entails little or no movement of the material that it loosens from the rocks and minerals. See also erosion. |
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