Exam 6: Weathering, Erosion, and Soil

Hydrolysis is particularly effective in weathering ____.

Salt crystals can exert enough force to widen cracks and dislodge particles in some rocks.

Explain why the ferromagnesian minerals most susceptible to chemical weathering are those formed early in the continuous branch of Bowen's reaction series.

Large,rounded masses of rock from which joint-bounded slabs of rock have slipped off are _______ _______.

What environmental effects are being seen that result from acid rain? In which environments are these effects lessened? Where are they most seen?

Mechanical weathering produces no change in the chemical composition of the parent rock.

The economically valuable mineral resource produced by intense chemical weathering that is found only in laterite soils is called ____________________.

What is soil degradation?

How does loss of soil fertility exacerbate soil erosion?

What factors lead to the development of the "Dust Bowl" during the 1930s in the United States?

Any process that removes soil or makes it less productive is called _______ _______.

Briefly explain how hydrolysis results in the weathering of some minerals.

Frost wedging in the mountains produces which type of material?

What is caliche?

Name an important physical property about water that makes it unique among liquids,and why is this property important in the weathering of rocks?

Laterite soils are not very fertile.

What factors and sequence of events commonly lead to soil erosion in rainforests?

List some examples of mechanical weathering processes.

The biggest problem areas for acid rain include

What does pressure release weathering result in?