Weathering, Erosion and Soil

Contour plowing is a practice that involves

• disturbing the ground as little as possible.

• changing the type of crop grown each year.

• plowing fields along the curves of a slope.

• cutting ‘steps’ into the side of a mountain.

The loose, weathered material on Earth’s surface in which plants can grow is called

• sediment

• regolith

• bedrock

• soil

The process that breaks down rock at Earth’s Surface is known as

• deposition

• erosion

• weathering

• frost wedging

The grinding away of rock by other rock particles carried by wind, water, or ice is called

• abrasion

• drought

• erosion

• freezing and thawing

Loam is soil that is made out of about equal parts of

• humus and sand

• sand, gravel, and humus

• clay, silt, and sand

• clay, water, and air

How do scientists classify soil?

• climate and type of rock

• climate, plant cover, and composition

• texture, climate, and elevation

• precipitation, texture, and type of rock

What kind of mass movement occurs when a mixture of water, rock, and soil moves rapidly downhill?

• mudflow

• landslide

• creep

• slump

Decomposers such as _______________, decompose organic matter and turn it into humus

• bacteria, worms, fungi

• groundhogs, chipmunks, earthworms

• mice, worms, fungi

• None of the above

In which type of climate do rocks weather fastest?

• warm and wet

• dry and hot

• cold and wet

• sunny and snowy

What kind of soil is found in Cresskill?

• Prairie

• Northern Forest

• Southern Forest

• Mountain