EESB05H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Parent Material, Weathering, Soil Horizon
Document Summary
Chapter 2: formation of soils from parent materials. Soils in every landscape differ from each other, and each influence ecological processes in their own way. The physical and chemical breakdown of particles occur everywhere. Weathering breaks up rocks and minerals, modifies or destroys their physical and chemical characteristics. Rocks are classified as igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic. Light-coloured quartz, muscovite, feldspar, dark-coloured biotite, augite, hornblende. Randomly dispersed interlocking pattern of mineral grains give it a salt and pepper look. Formed when weathering of other older rocks collect underwater as sediment and reconsolidated into new rock. Weathered quartz sand from granite may become cemented by calcium or iron in water to form sandstone. Sedimentary rocks the most common type of rock, covering 75% of earth"s surface. Rocks formed by metamorphism, a process where rocks undergo tremendous heat and pressure, and these forces may compress and partially remelt or distort the rocks.