ESS 101 EXAM SCRIPT VERIFIED QUESTIONS
WITH ACCURATE ANSWERS
●● Erosion
Answer: removal of material by water, wind, ice
●● Mechanical weathering
Answer: physically breaking of rocks into smaller pieces
●● Frost wedging
Answer: type of weathering where water enters cracks in rocks, water
freezes and expands against walls of rock, cracks enlarged and
intervening rock is dislodged
●● Unloading
Answer: type of weathering - expansion of rock from removal/erosion of
overlying rock
also called "sheeting"
●● Thermal expansion and contraction
Answer: type of weathering where vertical columns are formed when
magma is cooling and shrinking
"columnar jointing"
,●● Biological weathering
Answer: type of weathering where tree roots grow into cracks in rocks
and break it down
●● Dissolution
Answer: a mineral dissolves in water
(calcite helps form caves, sinkholes)
●● Oxidation
Answer: any reaction when electrons are lost from one element (rusting)
●● Hydrolysis
Answer: a mineral reacts with water to form a new mineral (usually clay,
Recitation Hall)
●● Soil
Answer: - a product of weathering
- a combination of mineral and organic matter, water, and air
●● 45% mineral matter
5% organic matter
25% water
, 25% air
Answer: percentages of composition of soil
●● Parent material
Answer: factor controlling soil formation
- different rocks leave different residual products behind
- limestone, shale, sandstone, gravel, etc.
●● Time
Answer: factor controlling soil formation
- a young soil will have thin horizon and will be less developed than old
soil
●● Climate
Answer: factor controlling soil formation
- primarily temperature and precipitation
- most influential control of soil formation
- warm, moist places form thick soils; dry places form thin soils
●● Plants and animals
Answer: factor controlling soil formation
- plants provide organic material to soil
WITH ACCURATE ANSWERS
●● Erosion
Answer: removal of material by water, wind, ice
●● Mechanical weathering
Answer: physically breaking of rocks into smaller pieces
●● Frost wedging
Answer: type of weathering where water enters cracks in rocks, water
freezes and expands against walls of rock, cracks enlarged and
intervening rock is dislodged
●● Unloading
Answer: type of weathering - expansion of rock from removal/erosion of
overlying rock
also called "sheeting"
●● Thermal expansion and contraction
Answer: type of weathering where vertical columns are formed when
magma is cooling and shrinking
"columnar jointing"
,●● Biological weathering
Answer: type of weathering where tree roots grow into cracks in rocks
and break it down
●● Dissolution
Answer: a mineral dissolves in water
(calcite helps form caves, sinkholes)
●● Oxidation
Answer: any reaction when electrons are lost from one element (rusting)
●● Hydrolysis
Answer: a mineral reacts with water to form a new mineral (usually clay,
Recitation Hall)
●● Soil
Answer: - a product of weathering
- a combination of mineral and organic matter, water, and air
●● 45% mineral matter
5% organic matter
25% water
, 25% air
Answer: percentages of composition of soil
●● Parent material
Answer: factor controlling soil formation
- different rocks leave different residual products behind
- limestone, shale, sandstone, gravel, etc.
●● Time
Answer: factor controlling soil formation
- a young soil will have thin horizon and will be less developed than old
soil
●● Climate
Answer: factor controlling soil formation
- primarily temperature and precipitation
- most influential control of soil formation
- warm, moist places form thick soils; dry places form thin soils
●● Plants and animals
Answer: factor controlling soil formation
- plants provide organic material to soil
