Soil Formation Processes and Changes Over Time
How do soils form?
Processes
4
basic processes in the soil
ADDITIONS
LOSSES
TRANSLOCATIONS
TRANSFORMATIONS
(MOVEMENT WITHIN THE SOIL)
(ONE COMPONENT CHANGES TO ANOTHER)
ADDITIONS
Rain adds
WATER
.
Dust adds
MINERALS
.
Animal waste add
ORGANIC MATTER
and
NUTRIENTS
.
Humans add
FERTILIZER
.
LOSSES
WATER
evaporates into the air.
Soil particles
WASH AWAY
in storms.
ORGANIC MATTER
may compose into
carbon dioxide.
NUTRIENTS
and
MINERALS
leach into
groundwater or are taken up by plants.
TRANSLOCATIONS
MOVEMENT WITHIN THE SOIL
GRAVITY
pull
WATER
down from top to
bottom.
EVAPORATING
WATER
draws minerals up
from bottom to top
ORGANISMS
carry materials every direction.
TRANSFORMATIONS
Dead leaves decompose into
HUMUS
.
Hard rock
WEATHERS
into soft clay
Oxygen
REACTS
with iron, “rusting” the soil
into a reddish color.
(ONE COMPONENT CHANGES TO ANOTHER)
The older a soil gets, the more different it looks from its
parent material. Soil is always
changing
– minerals, water,
air, organic matter and organisms – always
change.
Looks Change With Age
A soil profile is like a snap-shot, capturing what the
soil looks like
NOW
. In the
PAST
, soil looked
different, and in the
FUTURE
, it will look different
then it does now.
Vocabulary
•
Transform
•
Weathering
•
Decompose
•
Leaching
•
Minerals
•
Organic Matter
•
Organisms
•
Developed Soil
•
Humus
•
Bedrock
Vocabulary
•
Additions
•
Losses
•
Translocation
List the processes that occur in a soil? Give an example of each
Additions – rain adds water, dust adds minerals, as plants die and animals poop organic mater is added, humans also add fertilizer
Losses – evaporation, nutrient up take, leaching of nutrients and elements
Translocations – gravity pull water and dissolved materials down, OM can move in many directions due to critters, clay movement, eluviated horizon
Transformations – decomposition, weathering, iron rusting (reddening) or dissolving (graying), clay formation
Describe how a soil will change with time.
OM accumulates
A horizon forms
Horizons get thicker
May get redder if well drained or get grayer if wet
E horizon becomes more evident
Soil formation involves several processes such as additions, losses, translocations, and transformations. Additions like rainwater and organic matter, losses from evaporation and leaching, translocations by gravity and organisms, and transformations of components all contribute to the development and change of soil over time. The appearance and composition of soil vary with age, as minerals, organic matter, and organisms continually evolve. Key vocabulary includes weathering, decomposition, leaching, minerals, and humus.
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Presentation Transcript
How do soils form? Processes
4 basic processes in the soil ADDITIONS LOSSES TRANSLOCATIONS (MOVEMENT WITHIN THE SOIL) TRANSFORMATIONS (ONE COMPONENT CHANGES TO ANOTHER)
ADDITIONS Rain adds WATER. Dust adds MINERALS. Animal waste add ORGANIC MATTER and NUTRIENTS. Humans add FERTILIZER.
LOSSES WATER evaporates into the air. Soil particles WASH AWAY in storms. ORGANIC MATTER may compose into carbon dioxide. NUTRIENTS and MINERALS leach into groundwater or are taken up by plants.
TRANSLOCATIONS MOVEMENT WITHIN THE SOIL GRAVITY pull WATER down from top to bottom. EVAPORATINGWATER draws minerals up from bottom to top ORGANISMS carry materials every direction.
TRANSFORMATIONS (ONE COMPONENT CHANGES TO ANOTHER) Dead leaves decompose into HUMUS. Hard rock WEATHERS into soft clay Oxygen REACTSwith iron, rusting the soil into a reddish color.
Looks Change With Age The older a soil gets, the more different it looks from its parent material. Soil is always changing minerals, water, air, organic matter and organisms always change.
AGE IN YEARS 0 10 100 1,000 10,000 100,000 A - topsoil E-Eluviated B- Subsoil C-Parent Material R- Bedrock A soil profile is like a snap-shot, capturing what the soil looks like NOW. In the PAST, soil looked different, and in the FUTURE, it will look different then it does now.
Vocabulary Transform Weathering Decompose Leaching Minerals Organic Matter Organisms Developed Soil Humus Bedrock
Vocabulary Additions Losses Translocation
