Regolith Soil Soil

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Regolith Soil Soil 1 SSoilsoils Chapter 5, continued 2 regolith nDEF.: a blanket of soil or loose rock fragments on a planet’s surface 3 soil DEF.: the superficial material that forms at the Earth's surface by organic and inorganic processes. 4 soil DEF.: the superficial material that forms at the Earth's surface by organic and inorganic processes. DEF.: pedology _ the study of soils from "Pedon" Gk. ground. 5 Picture of lichen weathering leading to soil formation 6 reasons why geologists like soils 1. Provide clues as to the ENVIRONMENT of formation 7 reasons why geologists like soils 1. Provide clues as to the ENVIRONMENT of formation 2. Can be VALUABLE sources of MINERALS 8 reasons why geologists like soils 1. Provide clues as to the ENVIRONMENT of formation 1 2. Can be VALUABLE sources of MINERALS 3. Reflect the NATURE of the rock material from which they were formed. 9 An ancient soil in the South Dakota badlands 10 Typical components in a soil that yields good plant growth 11 Factors controlling soil formation 1)Parent material 2)Climate 3)Topography 4)Plants and animals 5)Time 12 Factors controlling soil formation 1) Parent material – the bedrock or sediment from which the soil develops 13 Factors controlling soil formation 2) Climate nMost influential ntemperature and precipitation 14 Factors controlling soil formation 3) Topography – the physical features of a landscape. nSteep slopes often have poorly developed soils 2 nOptimum terrain is flat-to-undulating 15 Variations in soil development due to topography 16 Factors controlling soil formation 4) Plants and animals + nProduce much of the O2, CO2 and H ions involved in chemical weathering reactions nH+ replace Ca, K, and Na in feldspars (hydrolysis) 17 How do plants and animals influence soils? nAlso furnish organic matter to the soil 18 Factors controlling soil formation 5) Time 19 An idealized soil profile – Fig. 5.19 20 An idealized soil profile 21 An idealized soil profile 22 An idealized soil profile 23 An idealized soil profile 24 An idealized soil profile 25 An idealized soil profile 26 A soil profile showing different horizons 27 28 Soil types nThree very generic soil types 3 nPedalfer nPedocal nLaterite 29 1) Pedalfer nAccumulation of iron oxides and Al-rich clays in the B horizon nCharacteristic of forested, humid, temperate regions 30 2) Pedocal nPed = soil nCal = calcium nHigh accumulations of calcium carbonate nAssociated with dry grasslands and brush vegetation; “hot desert soil.” 31 32 3) Laterite “Extreme” type of pedalfer Hot and wet tropical climates Intense chemical weathering 33 3) Laterite “Extreme” leaching . Al2Si 2O5(OH)4 Æ Al2O3 nH2O + SiO2 clay bauxite 34 35 36 Soil erosion nRecycling of Earth materials nNatural rates of soil erosion depend on nSoil characteristics nClimate nSlope nType of vegetation 4 37 Reasons for human-caused soil erosion n Farming (top soil eroding faster than it forms on 1/3 of all crop land) n Logging n Construction n Overgrazing n Overexploitation for fuel wood 38 39 40 What can be done to reduce soil agricultural erosion? nLeave stubble in the field nPlant cover crops nPlant hedges or trees as windbreaks nLow fences nPlow rows parallel to the contours of a hill nterracing 41 End of Chapter 5 5.
Recommended publications
  • 16. Ice in the Martian Regolith
    16. ICE IN THE MARTIAN REGOLITH S. W. SQUYRES Cornell University S. M. CLIFFORD Lunar and Planetary Institute R. O. KUZMIN V.I. Vernadsky Institute J. R. ZIMBELMAN Smithsonian Institution and F. M. COSTARD Laboratoire de Geographie Physique Geologic evidence indicates that the Martian surface has been substantially modified by the action of liquid water, and that much of that water still resides beneath the surface as ground ice. The pore volume of the Martian regolith is substantial, and a large amount of this volume can be expected to be at tem- peratures cold enough for ice to be present. Calculations of the thermodynamic stability of ground ice on Mars suggest that it can exist very close to the surface at high latitudes, but can persist only at substantial depths near the equator. Impact craters with distinctive lobale ejecta deposits are common on Mars. These rampart craters apparently owe their morphology to fluidhation of sub- surface materials, perhaps by the melting of ground ice, during impact events. If this interpretation is correct, then the size frequency distribution of rampart 523 524 S. W. SQUYRES ET AL. craters is broadly consistent with the depth distribution of ice inferred from stability calculations. A variety of observed Martian landforms can be attrib- uted to creep of the Martian regolith abetted by deformation of ground ice. Global mapping of creep features also supports the idea that ice is present in near-surface materials at latitudes higher than ± 30°, and suggests that ice is largely absent from such materials at lower latitudes. Other morphologic fea- tures on Mars that may result from the present or former existence of ground ice include chaotic terrain, thermokarst and patterned ground.
    [Show full text]
  • Surface Residence Times of Regolith on the Lunar Maria
    52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2021 (LPI Contrib. No. 2548) 1652.pdf 1 1 SURFACE RESIDENCE TIMES OF REGOLITH ON THE LUNAR MARIA. P. O’Brien and S. Byrne ,​ 1 ​ ​ L​ unar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 ([email protected]) Introduction: The surfaces of airless bodies like Our model simulates mare-like surfaces evolving the Moon undergo microscopic chemical changes as a over time from flat surfaces to cratered landscapes. result of energetic processes operating in the space Impacts are randomly sampled from the present-day environment, collectively known as space weathering lunar impact flux [5] and the global population of [1,2]. Despite returned lunar soil samples, the rate of secondary craters produced by these impacts is space weathering on the Moon is not well understood. generated following empirical observations of The amount of chemical weathering incurred in the secondary production on airless bodies [6,7]. At each lunar regolith depends critically on the rate at which timestep, we compute the downslope flux of regolith regolith is excavated, transported, and buried by by solving the 2D diffusion equation [8]. The rate of macroscopic impact processes. These physical diffusion is calibrated by matching the average processes control how long regolith spends on the roughness of the model landscapes to the observed surface where it is exposed to the space environment. roughness of the lunar maria, as measured by the We have developed a Monte Carlo model that median bidirectional slope at 4 m baselines [9]. Figure simulates the evolution of lunar maria landscapes 1 shows how model surfaces subject to these physical under topographic relief-creation from impact cratering processes become rougher and more heavily-cratered and relief-reduction from micrometeorite gardening over time.
    [Show full text]
  • NASA Spacecraft Nears Encounter with Dwarf Planet Ceres 4 March 2015
    NASA spacecraft nears encounter with dwarf planet Ceres 4 March 2015 of 590 miles (950 kilometers), makes a full rotation every nine hours, and NASA is hoping for a wealth of data once the spacecraft's orbit begins. "Dawn is about to make history," said Robert Mase, project manager for the Dawn mission at NASA JPL in Pasadena, California. "Our team is ready and eager to find out what Ceres has in store for us." Experts will be looking for signs of geologic activity, via changes in these bright spots, or other features on Ceres' surface over time. The latest images came from Dawn when it was 25,000 miles (40,000 kilometers) away on February 25. This image was taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft of dwarf planet Ceres on February 19, 2015 from a The celestial body was first spotted by Sicilian distance of nearly 29,000 miles astronomer Father Giuseppe Piazzi in 1801. "Ceres was initially classified as a planet and later called an asteroid. In recognition of its planet-like A NASA spacecraft called Dawn is about to qualities, Ceres was designated a dwarf planet in become the first mission to orbit a dwarf planet 2006, along with Pluto and Eris," NASA said. when it slips into orbit Friday around Ceres, the most massive body in the asteroid belt. Ceres is named after the Roman goddess of agriculture and harvests. The mission aims to shed light on the origins of the solar system 4.5 billion years ago, from its "rough The spacecraft on its way to circle it was launched and tumble environment of the main asteroid belt in September 2007.
    [Show full text]
  • Soil, Regolith, and Weathered Rock Theoretical Concepts and Evolution
    Geoderma 368 (2020) 114261 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Geoderma journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/geoderma Soil, regolith, and weathered rock: Theoretical concepts and evolution in T old-growth temperate forests, Central Europe ⁎ Pavel Šamonila,b, , Jonathan Phillipsa,c, Pavel Daněka,d, Vojtěch Beneše, Lukasz Pawlika,f a Department of Forest Ecology, The Silva Tarouca Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental Gardening, Lidická 25/27, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic b Department of Forest Botany, Dendrology and Geobiocoenology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic c Earth Surface Systems Program, Department of Geography, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA d Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 267/2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic e G IMPULS Praha Ltd., Czech Republic f University of Silesia, Faculty of Earth Sciences, ul. Będzińska 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Handling Editor: Alberto Agnelli Evolution of weathering profiles (WP) is critical for landscape evolution, soil formation, biogeochemical cycles, Keywords: and critical zone hydrology and ecology. Weathering profiles often include soil or solum (O, A, E, and Bhor- Soil evolution izons), non-soil regolith (including soil C horizons, saprolite), and weathered rock. Development of these is a Saprolite function of weathering at the bedrock weathering front to produce weathered rock; weathering at the boundary Weathering front between regolith and weathered rock to produce saprolite, and pedogenesis to convert non-soil regolith to soil. Hillslope processes Relative thicknesses of soil (Ts), non-soil regolith (Tr) and weathered rock (Tw) can provide insight into the Geophysical research relative rates of these processes at some sites with negligible surface removals or deposition.
    [Show full text]
  • Use of Agricultural Soil Maps in Making Soil Surveys
    108 USE OF AGRICULTURAL SOIL MAPS IN MAKING SOIL SURVEYS L. D HICKS, Chief Soils Engineer North Oil 'lina State Highway and Pubi Works Commission SYNOPSIS Soil surveys are made to obtain information relative to the type, extent of occurrence, and characteristics of the soils in a given area. The use of the pedological system of classification permits easy identification of the soils as to type, and knowledge of the characteristics of various soil types and previous experience with them can be utilized in planning and design. A large portion of many states has been surveyed by the Department of Agri• culture and maps are available showing the location of the various soil types. These maps may be used as guides in making soil surveys, and in many instances they contain all of the information desired. When agricultural soil maps are not available or when extreme accuracy is necessary, a soil survey must be made. The pedological system of classification can be used in making the survey by anyone with some knowledge of the system, assisted by a soil identification "key". This paper describes the use of agricultural soil maps by the North Carolina State Highway Department and a soil identification key used in making soil sur• veys IS included. The use of the key is described. The first soil surveys in the United suitability for various crops given. In• States were made m 1899 by the Depart• cluded in each report is a map of the ment of Agriculture for agricultural pur• area surveyed, usually a county, showing poses.
    [Show full text]
  • For Part Ii Hons. Geography Module 6
    FOR PART II HONS. GEOGRAPHY MODULE 6; UNIT : 1 ; TOPIC : 1.2 Prepared by Dr. Rajashree Dasgupta Asst. Professor, Dept. of Geography Government Girls’ General Degree College, Kolkata -23 4/3/2020 1 INTRODUCTION ZONAL SOILS : Zonal soils are those soils formed along broad zones of the earth. They are very much in conformity with climate and natural vegetation such as Podzol, Chernozem and Laterite soils. They are mature soils i.e. have fully developed soil profiles with distinct horizons (A, B & C). They are very much in equilibrium with environmental conditions. INTRAZONAL SOILS : Intrazonal soils are developed within the zonal soils. Because of certain local factors the type of soil is different from zonal soils eg. Alkali soils, peat soils i.e. hydromorphic soils. Because of heavy deposition of salt, the soil has been different. AZONAL SOILS : Those soils which fail to develop mature soil profiles. These soils develop over flood plains, aeolian deserts, loessic areas, alluvial soils , sketletal soils at the foot of the mountains. They are immatured soils due to lack of time in their soil forming process. 4/3/2020 Dept. of Geography, GGGDC, Kolkata 2 According to Dokuchaev, the classification of soils is as follows Class A : Normal Soils (Zonal Soils ) ZONES SOILS 1. Boreal Tundra 2. Taiga Light Grey podzolised soils 3. Forest Steppe Grey & dark grey soils 4. Steppe Chernozem 5. Desert Steppe Chestnut & Brown Soil 6. Desert Zone Yellow soils and white soils. 7. Subtropical Zones or Laterite & Red Soils Tropical Forest Class B : Transitional Soils (Intrazonal Soils ) Name of the Soils 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Developing Glassy Magnets from Simulated Composition of Moon/Mars Regolith for Exploration Applications
    Developing Glassy Magnets from simulated Composition of Moon/Mars Regolith for Exploration Applications C. S. Ray1, N. Ramachandran2 and J. Rogers1 1Exploration Science and Technology Division 2BAE SYSTEMS Analytical Solutions Inc. Science and Technology Directorate NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL 35812 ABSTRACT The feasibility of preparing glasses and developing glass-ceramic materials that display magnetic characteristics using the simulated compositions of Lunar and Martian regoliths have been demonstrated. The reported results are preliminary at this time, and are part of a larger on- going research activity at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) with an overall goal aimed at (i) developing glass, ceramic and glass-ceramic type materials from the Lunar and Martian soil compositions in their respective simulated atmospheric conditions, (ii) exploring the potential application areas of these materials through extensive materials characterization, and (iii) further improving the related materials properties through a variation of the processing methods. This research activity is an important component of NASA’s current space exploration program, which encourages feasibility studies for materials development using in situ resources on planetary bodies to meet the technological and scientific needs of future human habitats on these extra terrestrial outposts. This paper presents an overview of this on-going work at NASA (MSFC) and reports on a few selected results obtained to date. INTRODUCTION The long-term space exploration goals of NASA include developing human habitats and conducting scientific investigations on planetary bodies, especially on Moon and Mars. In-situ resource processing and utilization on planetary bodies, therefore, is recognized as an important and integral part of NASA’s space exploration program [1], since it can minimize (or eliminate) the level of up-mass (transporting materials from earth to the planetary bodies) and, hence, can substantially reduce the overall work-load and costs of exploration missions.
    [Show full text]
  • Frost Considerations in Highway Pavement Design: West-Central United States
    Frost Considerations in Highway Pavement Design: West-Central United States F. C. FREDRICKSON, Assistant Materials and Research Engineer, Minnesota Depart­ ment of Highways •ASSESSING the harmful effects of frost action on highways and adjusting highway de­ sign to eliminate the harmful effects is a major effort in frost areas. The problems are roughness resulting from freezing, weakening of road structures on thawing, and the deterioration of materials and structures resulting from freeze-thaw. The number of problems, their seriousness, and the nature of corrective action depend on the se­ verity of the frost action which is r elated to geographi c location. The area considered in this report includes Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota. GENERAL INFORMATION This area involves regions of diverse climate and topography, ranging from the forest and lake region of northern Minnesota through the vast plains and lowlands to the Ozarks in Missouri and Arkansas. It can generally be subdivided into three phys­ iographic provinces: the Great Plains, Central Lowlands, and the Ozark Plateau re­ gion (Fig. 1). The Great Plains region is part of the high Piedmont area located at the foot of the Rockies. Elevations gradually rise from 1, 000 ft in the east to 5, 000 ft in the west. Grazing and winter wheat farming reflect the moisture deficiency of the area. Elevations in the Central Lowlands are fairly uniform ranging from 500 to approxi­ mately 1, 500 ft. This province, trending north-south through the area, forms the basis for the rich agricultural economy of the Cotton Belt, Corn Belt, and the Spring Wheat regions in the Dakotas.
    [Show full text]
  • Organic Material on Ceres: Insights from Visible and Infrared Space Observations
    life Article Organic Material on Ceres: Insights from Visible and Infrared Space Observations Andrea Raponi 1,* , Maria Cristina De Sanctis 1, Filippo Giacomo Carrozzo 1 , Mauro Ciarniello 1 , Batiste Rousseau 1 , Marco Ferrari 1 , Eleonora Ammannito 2, Simone De Angelis 1, Vassilissa Vinogradoff 3, Julie C. Castillo-Rogez 4, Federico Tosi 1, Alessandro Frigeri 1 , Michelangelo Formisano 1 , Francesca Zambon 1, Carol A. Raymond 4 and Christopher T. Russell 5 1 Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, 00133 Rome, Italy; [email protected] (M.C.D.S.); fi[email protected] (F.G.C.); [email protected] (M.C.); [email protected] (B.R.); [email protected] (M.F.); [email protected] (S.D.A.); [email protected] (F.T.); [email protected] (A.F.); [email protected] (M.F.); [email protected] (F.Z.) 2 Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, 00133 Rome, Italy; [email protected] 3 Physique des Interactions Ioniques et Moléculaires, PIIM, Université d’Aix-Marseille, 13013 Marseille, France; [email protected] 4 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA; [email protected] (J.C.C.-R.); [email protected] (C.A.R.) 5 Earth Planetary and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: The NASA/Dawn mission has acquired unprecedented measurements of the surface of the dwarf planet Ceres, the composition of which is a mixture of ultra-carbonaceous material, phyllosilicates, carbonates, organics, Fe-oxides, and volatiles as determined by remote sensing instruments including the VIR imaging spectrometer.
    [Show full text]
  • Geology of Dwarf Planet Ceres and Meteorite Analogs H
    80th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society 2017 (LPI Contrib. No. 1987) 6003.pdf GEOLOGY OF DWARF PLANET CERES AND METEORITE ANALOGS H. Y. McSween1, C. A. Raymond2, T. H. Prettyman3, M. C. De Sanctis4, J. C. Castillo-Rogez2, C. T. Russell5, and the Dawn Science Team, 1Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-1410, [email protected]. 2Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA 91109, 3Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ 85719, 4Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Rome, Italy, 5Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095. Introduction: Although no known meteorites are thought to derive from Ceres, CI/CM carbonaceous chondrites are potential analogs for its composition and alteration [1]. These meteorites have primitive chemical compositions, despite having suffered aqueous alteration; this paradox can be explained by closed-system alteration in small parent bodies where low permeability limited fluid transport. In contrast, Ceres, the largest asteroidal body, has experi- enced extensive alteration accompanied by differentiation of silicates and volatiles [2]. The ancient surface of Ceres has a crater density similar to Vesta, but basins >400 km are absent or relaxed. The Dawn spacecraft’s GRaND instrument revealed near-surface ice concentrations in the regolith at high latitudes [3], exposed on the surface locally in a few craters [4]. The VIR instrument indicates a dark surface interpreted as a lag deposit from ice sublimation and composed of ammoniated clays, serpentine, MgCa-carbonates, and a darkening component [5]. Elemental analysis of Fe and H abundances in the non-icy regolith are lower and higher, respective- ly, than for CI/CM chondrites [3].
    [Show full text]
  • Nasa Planetary Mission Concept Study: Assessing Dwarf Planet Ceres’ Past and Present Habitability Potential
    NASA PLANETARY MISSION CONCEPT STUDY: ASSESSING DWARF PLANET CERES’ PAST AND PRESENT HABITABILITY POTENTIAL. J. C. Castillo-Rogez1, M. T. Bland2, D. L. Buczkowski3, A. R. Hen- drix4, K. E. Miller5, T. H. Prettyman4, L.C. Quick6, J. E. C. Scully1, Y. Sekine7, M. M. Sori8,9, T. Titus2, D. A. Wil- liams10, H. Yano11, M. Zolensky12, C. A. Raymond1, J. Brophy1, W. Frazier1, G. Lantoine1, B. G. Lee1, M. S. Kelley13, 1Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA. 2United States Geological Sur- vey, Flagstaff, AZ. 3John Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD. 4Planetary Science Institute. 5Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX. 6NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. 7Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan. 8Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Ari- zona, Tucson, AZ. 9Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. 10School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ. 11Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kana- gawa, Japan. 12Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX. 13NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC. Email: [email protected]. Introduction: The Dawn mission revolutionized ical evolution. While the latter goal does not directly re- our understanding of Ceres during the same decade that late to ROW, it addresses the place of Ceres in the early has also witnessed the rise of ocean worlds as a research solar system and its potential connection to other large and exploration focus. We will report progress on the dwarf planets. Planetary Mission Concept Study (PMCS) on the future Future exploration of Ceres would reveal the de- exploration of Ceres under the New Frontiers or Flag- gree to which liquid water and other environmental fac- ship program that was selected for NASA funding in tors may have combined to make this dwarf planet a October 2019.
    [Show full text]
  • Fossil Sites and Paleopedology Abstract
    AN OVERVIEW OF THE TERRESTRIAL EARLY TERTIARY OF SOUTHERN NORTH AMERICA- FOSSIL SITES AND PALEOPEDOLOGY JUDITH A. SCHIEBOUT DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY ABSTRACT would have suggested. Evidently, neither Increasingly detailed stratigraphic work the slow-to-open North Atlantic nor the in intermontane basins from Montana to long distances were insurmountable bar­ Texas has revealed significant differences riers to many mammals before the end of between northern and southern early Ter­ the early Eocene. The Cretaceous interior tiary terrestrial faunas of western North seaway split North America and served as America. Paleontological data from south­ a barrier to migration between west and ern California, Mexico, New Mexico, and east Texas. The effects of this separation west Texas allows analysis of the effects of may have lingered throughout the Pale­ topography and climate on southern faunal ocene. distribution. Endemism in the Paleocene and Eocene of southern California and the INTRODUCTION Paleocene of west Texas can be attributed in part to geographic isolation. Observed Several recent developments make this differences between northern and south­ a good time to look both backwards and ern faunas are tied to climatic differences, forwards at the terrestrial Paleocene and which are traceable from locality to locali­ Eocene of southern North America. Are­ ty using paleopedology. For example, Pa­ vision of terrestrial Cenozoic chronology edited by M.O. Woodburne is in prepara­ leocene fluvial mudstones in west Texas and New Mexico show prominent red and tion and should be published within 1979 or 1980 (Woodburne, 1978, pers. comm.). black banding. Red layers are rich in soil­ Although many aspects of this summing up formed calcite nodules.
    [Show full text]