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Slaking (geology)
Slaking is the process in which earth materials disintegrate and crumble when exposed to moisture. The term can be applied to natural geologic formations, land modified by or for human use, or to the use of earth materials in manufacturing or industry. This process can often lead to erosion if the geologic area is not flat or vegetated. The slaking property does not necessarily have to be in the A horizon, with B horizon slaking only becoming a problem when the A horizon is disturbed or eroded away. Slaking occurs on soil aggregates and is correlated with the rate of wetting, the faster the wetting, the more slaking occurs. Preventing slaking As with most erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is distin ... slaking can be prevented with re-vegetation of bare soil and limit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Soil Horizon
A soil horizon is a layer parallel to the soil surface whose physical, chemical and biological characteristics differ from the layers above and beneath. Horizons are defined in many cases by obvious physical features, mainly colour and texture. These may be described both in absolute terms (particle size distribution for texture, for instance) and in terms relative to the surrounding material, i.e. 'coarser' or 'sandier' than the horizons above and below. The identified horizons are indicated with symbols, which are mostly used in a hierarchical way. Master horizons (main horizons) are indicated by capital letters. Suffixes, in form of lowercase letters and figures, further differentiate the master horizons. There are many different systems of horizon symbols in the world. No one system is more correct—as artificial constructs, their utility lies in their ability to accurately describe local conditions in a consistent manner. Due to the different definitions of the horizon symb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Soil Aggregate Stability
Soil aggregate stability is a measure of the ability of soil aggregates— soil particles that bind together—to resist breaking apart when exposed to external forces such as water erosion and wind erosion, shrinking and swelling processes, and tillage. Soil aggregate stability is a measure of soil structure and can be affected by soil management. Overview Aggregate stability is one of indicators of soil quality, as it combines soil physical, chemical, and biological properties. The formation of soil aggregates (or so-called secondary soil particles or peds) occurs due to interactions of primary soil particles (i.e., clay) through rearrangement, flocculation and cementation. Aggregate stability has a direct impact on soil pore size distribution, which affects soil water retention and water movement in soil, therefore affecting air movement. A soil with good soil structure typically has a mix of micro-, meso-, and macropores. Therefore, with more aggregation, you would expect ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Erosion
Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is distinct from weathering which involves no movement. Removal of rock or soil as clastic sediment is referred to as ''physical'' or ''mechanical'' erosion; this contrasts with ''chemical'' erosion, where soil or rock material is removed from an area by dissolution. Eroded sediment or solutes may be transported just a few millimetres, or for thousands of kilometres. Agents of erosion include rainfall; bedrock wear in rivers; coastal erosion by the sea and waves; glacial plucking, abrasion, and scour; areal flooding; wind abrasion; groundwater processes; and mass movement processes in steep landscapes like landslides and debris flows. The rates at which such processes act control how fast a surface is eroded. Typically, physical erosion procee ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
