Tarbuck Chapter 4: Weathering, Soil, and Mass Wasting

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1. External processes such as weathering, mass wasting, or erosion

processes that occur at the Earth's surface, are powered by the Sun,
and transform solid rock into sediment in the rock cycle

2. Internal process a process such as mountain building or volcanism that de-

rives its energy from Earth's interior and elevates Earth's
surface

3. Weathering Physical breakdown (disintegration) and chemical alter-

ation (decomposition) of rocks and minerals at the Earth's
surface

4. Mass wasting Transfer of rock and soil downslope due to gravity; usually
follows weathering; creates landforms and transports sed-
iment to the sea
Caused by:
-heavy precipitation
-oversteepened slopes
-removal of vegetation
-earthquakes

5. Erosion Physical removal of material by mobile agents such as

water, wind, or ice

6. Mechanical Process in which physical forces break rocks into small-

weathering er pieces without changing their composition (e.g. frost
wedging, salt crystal growth, sheeting, biological activity);
usually increases surface area of rock, increasing chances
of chemical weathering

7. Chemical weath- Process in which the chemical composition of rocks

ering is changed (e.g. carbonic acid decomposing calcite
(CaCO3) or granite (potassium feldspar, KAlSi3O8), and
spheroidal weathering)
-Weathering of quartz leads to residual quartz grains and
dissolved silica
-Weathering of feldspars leads to residual clay minerals
and dissolved silica, K+, Na+, Ca2+
-Weathering of amphibole leads to residual clay minerals

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 Tarbuck Chapter 4: Weathering, Soil, and Mass Wasting
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and iron oxides and dissolved silica, Ca2+, and Mg2+
-Weathering of olivine leads to residual iron oxides and
dissolved silica and Mg2+

8. Frost wedging A mechanical weathering process in which water freezes

between cracks and enlarges them (due to the expansion
from water to ice) until the rock breaks apart.

9. Frost heave A form of frost wedging in which moist soils expand or rise
due to growth of ice lenses
Ice lenses grow when supplied by water from unfrozen
areas and gradually heave the soil upward
Also occurs in the cracks and pores of rocks, which is why
it is considered a form of frost wedging

10. Talus Slope poorly sorted, cone-shaped deposits formed by angular

rock fragments that cascade down a slope along the base
of a mountain

11. Sheeting A mechanical weathering process characterized by the

splitting off of slablike sheets of rock from a mass of
igneous rock
-Erosion removes overlying rock, reducing pressure on
igneous rock and exposing it to more weathering
-Outer layers expand more and break off like layers of an
onion; underlying rock expands and uplifts, exposing more
rock to weathering
-Related to unloading

12. Exfoliation dome A dome-shaped feature of weathering, produced by the

response of granite to the overburden removal process,
which relieves pressure from the rock. Layers of rock
slough off in slabs or shells in a sheeting process.

13. Joint Fractures produced by expansion or contraction of ig-

neous materials; allow water to penetrate deeply and start
the process of weathering long before the rock is exposed

14. Spheroidal A chemical weathering process characterized by the for-

weathering mation of a spherical shape from a block shape. Often
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 Tarbuck Chapter 4: Weathering, Soil, and Mass Wasting
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caused by water entering along joints and attacking the
corners due to greater surface area

15. Rate of Rock 1. Particle size: smaller, greater surface area, weathers
Weathering faster
2. Mineral makeup: e.g. granite (made of silicate) is more
resistant than marble (made of calcite)
3. Climate factors: temperature and moisture
"differential weathering"

16. Regolith Layer of weathered rock fragments covering much of the

Earth's surface

17. Differential the process by which softer, less weather resistant rocks
weathering wear away and leave harder, more weather resistant rocks
behind

18. Soil A combination of mineral and organic matter, water, and

air; that portion of the regolith that supports plant growth
Formation is affected by:
-parent material
-time
-climate (most influential)
-topography, slope orientation
-plants and animals

19. Soil texture The proportion of sand, silt, and clay in a mixture of soil
(as indicated by a triangular chart); affects the ability of a
soil to hold moisture and support plant growth.

20. Soil structure Influences the ease of cultivation and susceptibility to

erosion as well as the porosity and permeability of soil.
Four types recognized include platy, spheroidal, prismatic,

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and blocky; water can permeate the first two but not the
last two

21. Peds Clumps of soil that give the soil its soil structure

22. Loam Soils in which no single particle size predominates the

other two

23. Parent material The source of the weathered mineral matter from which
soils develop
-Gradually undergoes phyiscal and chemical changes
-Affects the rate of weathering/rate of soil formation and
fertility/character of sustained vegetation
-Less important than climate and some other factors (i.e.
similar soils can form from different parent materials)
-If the parent material is underlying bedrock, then the soils
are called residual soils
-If the parent material is unconsolidated sediment, then
the soils are called transported soils

24. Humus A material that does not resemble the plants and animals
from which it is formed

25. Horizon -a distinctive layer of soil

-has specific characteristics, texture, make up, and color

26. O Horizon The first soil horizon

-characterized by loose plant and animal debris at various
levels of decomposition (humus); abundant microscopic
life
-part of topsoil
-part of solum

27. A Horizon The second soil horizon

-composed of decayed organic matter mixed with mineral
matter
-part of topsoil
-part of solum

28. E Horizon
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The third soil horizon
-characterized by light color and little organic matter
-soluble substances are removed by leaching and clay
minerals are depleted
-part of solum

29. Eluviation The removal of fine soil components (INSOLUBLE) by

downward-percolating water; occurs in E horizon and low-
er A horizon

30. Leaching Removal of SOLUBLE materials from soil by down-

ward-percolating water

31. B Horizon The fourth soil horizon

-characterized by accumulation of clay minerals
-may be red due to iron oxides
-may be white in dry climates due to calcite deposits
-part of solum
-subsoil

32. Zone of accumu- Zone in B horizon where clay particles accumulate; en-
lation hances water retention

33. Hardpan Compact and impermeable layer of clay sometimes

formed in zone of accumulation

34. C Horizon The fifth soil horizon

-composed of partially altered parent material

35. Solum O, A, E, and B horizons; soil layers in which plant roots are
most active

36. Topsoil O and A horizons

37. Immature Describes soil lacking horizons due to a shorter period

of soil development; characteristic of steep slopes where
erosion prevents full soil development

38. Soil profile A vertical section through a soil showing its succession of
horizons and the underlying parent material
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39. Soil taxonomy A system for classifying soils with six hierarchies from
"order" to "series"; emphasizes the physical and chemical
properties of the soil profile and is organized on the basis
of observable soil characteristics.

40. Sheet erosion A process in which soil is dislodged by raindrops and

carried away by thin layers of water

41. Rills runoff that forms tiny grooves in the soil

42. Gullies deeper cuts in soil that form when rills enlarge; cannot be
removed by farm cultivation

43. Secondary en- The concentration of minor amounts of metals that are
richment scattered through unweathered rocks into economically
valuable concentrations by weathering processes of:
1. Chemical weathering and downward-percolating water
removes undesired minerals and leaves desired elements
in large concentration at the surface
2. Desired elements in low concentration move down to
higher concentrations.
-Forms bauxite in tropical areas
-Pyrite forms sulfuric acid, causing the dissolving of ores
and their subsequent migration downard

44. Oversteepened Landscape with slope greater than the material's angle of
slope repose

45. Angle of repose The steepest angle at which loose material remains sta-
tionary without sliding downslope

46. Fall A type of Mass-wasting movement of free falling detached

individual pieces of any size material; common on slopes
that are too steep, and often result from the loosening
caused by the freeze-thaw cycle or plant roots
-EX: Rock Fall- a primary way talus slopes are built.

47. Slide A type of Mass-Wasting movement occurring when mate-

rial moves coherently along a well defined surface some-
times at a joint, fault, or bed plane parallel to a slope;
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48. Flow A type of Mass-Wasting movement when material moves

downslope as a viscous fluid; generally saturated with
water and move as tongues or lobes.

49. Slump A type of mass wasting that occurs when a mass of

material (often clay) slides down a curved slope as a unit;
creates a crescent shaped scarp

50. Rockslide Rapid sliding of a mass of bedrock downslope along a

plane of weakness.

51. Debris slide A form of rockslide in which regolith dominates over

bedrock

52. Debris flow a relatively rapid type of mass wasting that involves a
flow of regolith and soil containing a large amount of
water; dense versions of these can push houses, occur in
semiarid regions

53. Mudflow A form of debris flow that is primarily fine-grained

54. Lahar A fast moving mudflow composed of volcanic material on

its flanks that occurs when the heat associated with a
volcanic eruption melts snow and ice on top of a volcano
or after heavy rainfall.

55. Earthflow Slow-moving downslope movement of water-saturated,

clay-rich sediment; occur in humid areas during heavy
precipitation; slower than debris flows due to viscosity

56. Liquefaction A type of earthflow associated with earthquakes, where

saturated clay/sand loses cohesion when shaken; can sink
buildings, etc.

57. Creep A form of mass wasting characterized by the gradual

downhill movement of soil and regolith often caused by
expansion and contraction of earth from freeze-thaw or
wet-dry cycles; aided by saturation of soil (leading to loss
of cohesion) and anything that disturbs the soil
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58. Solifluction A type of mass wasting in which soil saturated with water
will slowly flow downslope; occurs where water cannot
escape from saturated surface soil, such as in association
with hardpan, permafrost, or impermeable bedrock

59. Permafrost A permanently frozen layer of soil, usually found in tundra

of the arctic or high mountains where solifluction often
occurs.

60. Active layer Term used to describe the area above the permafrost
which melts in the summer and freezes in the winter;
solifluction occurs here during the summer when water
cannot percolate into the permafrost

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