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Soils and Regolith. Pedology- The study of soils. Pedogenic processes depend on: ClORPTH Climate - Temperature, H 2 O, freezing Organisms - Addition and digestion of Org. Material Relief - Slope Steepness - Balance with erosion Parent Material - what do you start with?
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Pedology- The study of soils • Pedogenic processes depend on: ClORPTH • Climate - Temperature, H2O, freezing • Organisms - Addition and digestion of Org. Material • Relief - Slope Steepness - Balance with erosion • Parent Material - what do you start with? • Time - How long has it been sitting there? • Humans - Addition of fertilizer, tillage, salinization, etc… FLUX SITE
The importance of soils • Life on Earth depends on soil • Soil is a vital non-renewable resource • It takes > 1000’s of years to form a soil • Chemical weathering happens in soils
Soil Horizons E/A2
Clay Formation in Soils Primary 2:1 1:1 0:1
Some Soil Profiles Oxisol Alfisol Aridisol
Naming Soils • Soils are named on the basis of Subsurface horizons • Layers in the soil that reflect soil forming processes
Soil Orders • Alfisols - Moderate temperature forests • Andisols - Soils on volcanic material • Aridisols - Soils from deserts • Entisols - Little soil formation • Gelisols - Soils in cold regions w/ permafrost • Histisols - Soils on peat • Inceptisols - Young soils • Mollisols - Grassland soils • Oxisols - Tropical forests • Spodosols - Cool, wet coniferous forests • Ultisols - Tropical and subtropical forests • Vertisols - Soils with cracks