Download Teachers Guid 10 - Nature Conservation Lewisham

Teachers Guid 10 – Rocks and Soil Glossary
Bedrock:
The solid rock that is found once you
have dug through all the layers of soil.
Clay soil
Soil that has a high proportion of clay.
Horizon
A layer of soil in a soil profile
Igneous
A rock formed from magma either
inside the Earth or on the surface
Teachers Guid 10 – Rocks and Soil Glossary
Impermeable
A rock is impermeable if it doesn’t let
water in/through.
Loam Soil
A soil which is a fairly even mixture of
sand, clay and silt.
Magma
A mixture of molten or semi-molten
rock, volatiles and solids that is found
beneath the surface of the Earth
Mineral
A precise mix of chemical ‘elements’
which are organised in a very specific
way.
Metamorphic
A rock formed when existing rock is
changed through heat and pressure.
Non-porous
Not allowing liquid or air to pass
through it
Teachers Guid 10 – Rocks and Soil Glossary
Organic
material
Dead or decaying matter found at the
top of soil. This lies just on top of the
topsoil.
Parent
material
The broken rock from which a soil is
formed. It is found at the bottom of a
soil profile.
Peat
A dark soil that is mainly made from
partly decayed plant material.
Permeable
A permeable rock is one that allows
water to pass in/through.
Porous
Having many pores or other small
spaces that can hold a gas or liquid or
allow it to pass through.
Teachers Guid 10 – Rocks and Soil Glossary
Rock
A solid formed of the particles of one or
more minerals.
Rock cycle
The movement and recycling of rocks
by nature. Rocks change from one type
to another during this process.
Sandy Soil
Soil that has a high proportion of sand.
Sedimentary
Rock
Rock formed when layers of mineral
particles are squashed together
Silt
Fine rock particles that are not as fine
as clay, but not as coarse as sand
Teachers Guid 10 – Rocks and Soil Glossary
Soil Profile
The various layers if soil from organic
matter on top to the bedrock at the
bottom.
Top Soil
The first proper layer or horizon of soil
which is found when you dig into soil.