Download Part A. What makes up soil? Part B. Soil Formation

SOILS WEBQUEST
DIRECTIONS: Follow the links to answer the questions.
Part A. What makes up soil?
http://www.kidsgeo.com/geology-for-kids/0009-components-of-soil.php
1. What are the components of soil?
Minerals, rocks, inorganic materials, organic materials, water, air
2. Why would you NOT find soils on Mars or Venus?
Not all materials that make up soil can be found on other planets, such as water,
organic materials
3. Where do the minerals (inorganic materials) that form soil come from?
From the weathering and erosion of rocks
4. How is the air found in soils different from the air in the atmosphere?
Much more humid and moist and is rich in carbon dioxide but has less oxygen
5. Why is water such an important component of soils?
Because soil formation would not be possible without water, also gives it nutrients
Part B. Soil Formation
http://agverra.com/blog/soil-types/
http://forces.si.edu/soils/02_01_04.html
1. There are approximately how many different kinds of soil in the United States?
5 types: sandy, silty, clay, peaty, and saline
2. What does ClORPT stand for? What factors make up ClORPT?
Cl​
- Climate- temperature
O​
-Organisms- plants, animals, microorganisms
R​
-Relief- topography
P​
-parent material- original unweathered rock
T​
-Time- age of soil
3. How does climate affect soil formation?
Temperature speeds up or slows down chemical reactions
4. How do organisms affect soils?
Chemically alters and physically mixes soils
5. What is “relief” and how does it affect soil formation?
Topography influences sunlight hours, water runoff, temp, erosion, and organic
matter buildup
6. Where can the parent material for a soil come from?
Can be the underlying bedrock but most are sediments
7. How can time affect soils?
Older soils are more weathered than younger ones.
Part C. Soil Structure
www.enchantedlearning.com/geology/soil/
1. What types of material makes up the O Horizon?
Leaf litter and humus (decomposed organic matter)
2. How is the A Horizon different from the O?
No leaf litter but it does contain mineral particles
3. What is eluviation and what causes it?
Water dripping through the soil and carrying most of its minerals and clay with it
4. What is the common process occurring in the B Horizon?
Minerals are deposited in this layer
5. Why do you think the B Horizon is sometimes called the “Zone of
Accumulation”?
All the mineral deposits and clay settle in this layer​
.
6. How are the C & R Horizons related?
Both are composed mainly of bedrock and plant roots do not penetrate these
layers
Part D. Properties of Soils
http://www.soil-net.com/primary/ks2/topic6/topic6_factsheet.pdf
1. What are the four most important properties of soil?
Texture, structure, waterholding capacity, acidity & alkalinity
2. What are the three basic textures that a soil can have?
Sandy, clayey, loamy (rough, coarse, and smooth)
3. What are porosity and permeability? How are they related?
http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/investigations/es1401/es
1401page04.cfm
Porosity is the amount of ​
open space​
and permeability is how easily water can
flow through the ​
open space
Part E. Types of Soils
http://soils.ag.uidaho.edu/soilorders/orders.htm
1. How many basic types of soil are there?
12 basic types: gelisols, histosols, spodosols, andisols, oxisols, vertisols, aridisols,
ultisols, mollisols, alfisols, inceptisols, entisols
2. What type of soil would most commonly be found in North Florida (hint: look at
the maps for each soil type)? Describe the characteristics of that soil.
Ultisols- found in populated areas and it is strongly leeched
3. Pick one of the other soil types. Name it, describe it and identify where it can be
found.
Pick One
Extra Credit –What is the state soil of FL and where is it found?
Myakka- found in Florida flatwoods