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Science Vocabulary
Science Vocabulary- Chapter 2
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Uniformitarianism | this principle states that the geologic processes that operate today also operated in the past |
Erosion | is the process of wearing down and carrying away rocks |
Weathering | is the process that breaks down rock and other substances |
Mechanical Weathering | the type of weathering in which rock is physically broken into smaller pieces |
Chemical Weathering | is the process that breaks down rock through chemical changes |
Abrasion | refers to the wearing away of rock by rock particles carried by water, ice, wind, or gravity |
Frost Wedging | wedges of ice in rocks widen and deepen cracks |
Oxidation | iron combines with oxygen in the presence of water in a process called |
Permeable | means that a material is full of tiny, connected air spaces that allow water to seep through it |
Soil | is the loose, weathered material on Earth's surface in which plants can grow |
Bedrock | is the solid layer of rock beneath the soil |
Humus | is a dark-colored substance that forms as plant and animal remains decay |
Fertility | is a measure of how well the soil supports plant growth |
Loam | soil that is made up of about equal parts of clay, sand, and silt |
pH Scale | measures acidity |
Soil Horizon | is a layer of soil that differs in color, texture, and composition from the layers above or below it |
Topsoil | a crumbly, dark brown soil that is a mixture of humus, clay |
Subsoil | usually consists of clay and other particles of rock, but little humus |
Decomposers | are the organisms that break the remains or dead organisms into smaller pieces and digest them with chemicals |
Natural Resource | is anything in the environment that humans use |
Soil Conservation | is the management of soil to limit its destruction |
Crop Rotation | a farmer plants different crops in a field each year |
Contour Plowing | farmers plow their fields along the curves of a slope instead of in straight rows |
Conservation Plowing | dead weeds and stalks of the previous year's crop are plowed into the ground to help return soil nutrients, retain moisture, and hold soil in place |