Name:Date:Number:

Study Guide: Earths Surface Processes

For questions (1), (2), and (3), write the layer of soil that matches the description.

(1) _______________ This layer is composed entirely of recycled organic material.

(2) _______________ This is the last layer that you would possibly find plant roots.

(3) _______________ This is the layer that breaks down to form soil.

(4) List two different ways soil can form.

(5) Order from biggest to smallest: sand, clay, silt, gravel.

(6) How can water be involved in mechanical weathering? How can water be involved in chemical weathering?

(7) Circle the examples of chemical weathering:

frost wedging, oxidation, water dissolving chemicals, water dissolving rock, abrasion, acid rain, weak acids from plants, animal action, plants breaking apart rocks with roots, carbonic acid

Give definitions of each:

Frost wedging:

Oxidation:

Abrasion:

Acid rain:

Carbonic acid:

Weak acids from plants:

Animal action:

(8) Which agent of chemical weathering most likely resulted in the following rock? EXPLAIN.

(9) Which agent of mechanical weathering most likely resulted in the following rock? EXPLAIN.

(10) Which agent of chemical weathering most likely resulted in the following statue? EXPLAIN.

(11) Will permeable rock weather faster or slower than non-permeable rock? EXPLAIN.

(12) If mechanical weathering breaks a rock into pieces, how would this affect the rate at which the rock weathers chemically?

(13) List the four factors that affect the rate of weathering.

(14) What are the five agents of erosion?

(15) Which agent of erosion has impacted Earths surface the most?

(16) What is the difference between weathering and erosion?

(17) How does the cycle of weathering, erosion, and deposition change Earths topography?

(18) Give the name of the following land features AND explain how they were formed:

a)b)

c)d) Made of clay

*NOTE: Look over all features from your homework text search packet!!! Any of those features could appear on the test. You need to be able to identify them AND explain how they were formed.

(19) List the different landforms that could result from the following agents of erosion:

Mass movement:

Glacier:

Wind:

Water:

Wave:

(19)

(a) What was the experimental question this experiment was trying to answer?

(b) What is the independent variable?

(c) What is the dependent variable?

(d) What are three controlled variables?

(e) Write a C-E-R argument about the results of this experiment.

(20) Define

a) Independent variable:

b) Dependent variable:

c) Controlled variables:

(21) Extending thinking: Does the cycle of weathering, erosion, and depositions happen quickly or over a long period of time?

(22) Explain the different horizons of soil and what you can find in each.

(23) Give an example AND explain what each does for the soil.

a) Burrowers

b) Decomposers

c) Humus source

(24) Write a C-E-R argument about the results of the water erosion experiment you completed in class.