1. NCVPS Earth and Environmental Science

2. Lecture and Study Guide 3 Rocks, Soils, Erosion, Weathering and Deposition Pictures added to Study Guide By Kella Randolph All art fro Creative Commons via Bing Online Images Music from Kalinda 3. 3 types of rocks Igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic 4. Igneous 5. Metamorphic rocks 6. Sedimentary rocks There are hundreds of different sedimentary rock types. 7. intrusive igneous Intrusive- hardens underground 8. extrusive igneous Extrusive- hardens above ground 9. How are sedimentary rocks formed? Compaction and cementation of sediments. 10. What are the forces that form metamorphic rocks? Heat and pressure 11. What is humus made of? Decaying organic matter. 12. How long does it take soil to form from parent rock? Hundreds of years 13. Why is soil important to living things? Because plant roots need soil to grow. 14. 3 basic soil particles Sand, silt and clay 15. sand 16. silt 17. clay 18. What is loamy soil? A mixture of sand, clay and humus 19. Name the layers of a soil profile. Organic layer Topsoil Weathered parent material Unweathered Parent material 20. Define weathering. The breaking down and building up of the Earths surface. 21. What are the 2 types of weathering? Physical/Mechanical and Chemical 22. Mechanical or Physical weathering Name six main processes of physical weathering. Gravity Exfoliation Impact and abrasion Frost action Temperature Organic activity 23. Gravity 24. Impact and abrasion 25. Exfoliation 26. Frost action 27. Temperature Alternating freeze and thaw creates cracks in stone, breaking it into smaller pieces. 28. Organic activity Tiny roots excrete acids that eat into stone, providing a hold for the tree and nutrients as well. 29. Chemical weathering Name five main processes of chemical weathering. Water Oxidation Carbonation Sulfuric acid (acid rain) Plant acids 30. Water weathering As glaciers move, they gouge out large amounts of rocks and soil, carrying these many miles. 31. Oxidation As the oxygen in the air interacts with the iron in the soil, the iron oxidizes, or rusts, turning red. 32. Carbonation Water dissolves minerals and redeposits them as water drips from the ceiling of a cave. 33. Sulfuric acid (acid rain) Acid rain is formed when acidic air pollutants mix with rain. 34. Plant acids Acids from tiny roots dissolve rock allowing the root to grow into a stone. 35. What are the five causes of soil mismanagement? Clearing vegetation Plants planted in the wrong location Overuse of pesticides and fertilizers Pollution of cars and factories Compaction from animals roads and construction 36. Clearing vegetation 37. Plants planted in the wrong location It is a mistake to plant a tree where soil or environmental conditions will not favor good growth, where it will eventually need regular and heavy corrective pruning or where it may need to be completely removed within a few years. 38. Overuse of pesticides and fertilizers Overuse of DDT resulted in thin eggshells for eagles. A food chain: worms on plants ate poison. Birds and other small animals and fish, ate the worms. Eagles ate the animals that had eaten the worms. The pesticide was carried in the bodies of every creature that ate. When female eagles laid eggs with thin shells, due to the DDT, the eggs broke when the mother sat on them to keep them warm. Baby eagles died before they could hatch, because the shells broke. The American Eagle was almost made extinct. DDT is banned in the USA and some other countries now. 39. Pollution of cars and factories 40. Compaction from animals roads and construction 41. Define erosion. The process by which weathered material is moved from one place to another. 42. Define deposition. The process by which sediments are laid down. 43. Name five agents of erosion. Wind Gravity Running water Waves Glaciers 44. Wind 45. Gravity Rain soaked ground becomes mud. Mud slides downhill, carrying trees and rocks with it. 46. Running water Cliffs eroded by running water from rain and waves 47. Waves Coastal erosion wearing away beach 48. Glaciers Ice in glaciers grabs onto soil and rocks, dragging them along as the glacier melts back or slides forward. 49. Why does running water account for the greatest changes on the landscape? Because over time, it can erode rocks and cause canyons. 50. How does urban storm water affect the water quality? After a storm, all the citys pollution gets washed into the creeks and streams. 51. down cutting Downcutting is the downward erosion of a stream channel 52. stream energy Stream energy is the velocity of a stream. 53. stream load The stuff that gets carried in a stream. Stream load is the amount of stuff the water is carrying. 54. How does stream deposition occur? Results from decreasing water velocity. 55. Where do river systems come from? All the water ways that drain into a river from tributaries 56. Describe an oxbow lake. When a meander gets cut off from the main river, an oxbow lake forms. 57. Describe a delta. This is where a river empties into a larger body of water, causes a back up usually creating a wetland. 58. What are levees? Natural ridges that hold back water. 59. What are the four factors that wind erosion is dependent upon? (1)Size of particles being carried (2) Speed of the wind (3) Length of time the wind blows (4) Resistance of rocks exposed to wind 60. Describe how waves constantly change shorelines. Waves receive their energy from winds that blow across the water surface. The size of a wave depends on how fast, how far, and how long the wind blows. 61. What are seven ways to control erosion? Construction sites can use sediment fencing. Contour farming Collect and direct urban run-off Terracing Strip croppingPlant vegetation Anchor the soil 62. Construction sites can use sediment fencing. 63. Contour farming 64. Collect and direct urban run-off 65. Terracing 66. Strip cropping 67. Plant vegetation 68. Anchor the soil 69. There are many things that we can do to help conserve and protect our precious natural resources. The earth is our home. Keep it healthy!