Soil science is an interdisciplinary study that incorporates aspects of physics, chemistry, biology, mineralogy, hydrology, taxonomy, climatology, and cartography. Briefly describe how these various fields may be beneficial to the study of soils
What will be an ideal response?
Answers will vary, but examples include:
Physics: Studies matter and motion in time and space. Soil physics deals with physical soil components, and their phases as solid, liquid, and gas. Soil physics will look at the fluxes of water and mass within soils.
Chemistry: The chemical properties of soil, such as pH, cation-exchange capacity, etc. are important indicators of the conditions of soil.
Biology: Biological activity is crucial to the formation of soil. Additionally, soil contains organic matter.
Mineralogy: Soil is, on average, 45% inorganic matter. Mineralogy obviously plays an important role in understanding soils.
Hydrology: Water moves through soil and is an important component of the chemical composition thereof.
Taxonomy: Soils are highly variable. Being able to classify this great variety is of utmost important to soil scientists.
Climatology: Climate is another important factor in soil development. There is also a correlation between climate and broad soil orders.
Cartography: In order to show the spatial distribution of soils, cartographic skills are needed.
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Which of the following is not a nonmetal?
A. sulfur (atomic no. = 16) B. titanium (atomic no. = 22) C. selenium (atomic no. = 34) D. helium (atomic no. = 2) E. xenon (atomic no. = 54)
How can winds be observed by satellites?
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On a map showing the age of the seafloor, why are the patterns symmetrical in the Atlantic Ocean but not the Pacific Ocean?
A. Spreading in the Atlantic has been faster than sea-floor spreading in the Pacific. B. Subduction has consumed large areas of old oceanic crust in the Atlantic, more than in the Pacific. C. Spreading along the Atlantic ridge added seafloor to plates on both sides, while subduction has consumed large areas of old oceanic crust in the Pacific. D. Subduction occurred at the same rate along the eastern and western sides of the Atlantic, but not in the Pacific.
Dynamic forcing of upper air currents will create
A. upper air convergence at B that results in surface high pressure. B. upper air convergence at B that results in surface low pressure. C. upper air convergence at A that results in surface high pressure. D. upper air divergence at A that results in surface high pressure.