| Term | Definition |
|---|
| weathering | the process that breaks down rock and other substances at Earth's surface |
| erosion | the removal of rock partixles by wind, water, ice, or gravity |
| mechanical weathering | the type of weathering in which rock is physically broken into smaller pieces |
| abrasion | the term referring to the grinding away of rock by rock particles carried by water, ice wind, or gravity |
| ice wedging | when wedges of ice in rocks wden and deepen cracks |
| chemical weathering | the process that breaks down rock through chemical changes |
| oxidation | the process that iron combines with oxygen in the presence of water |
| permeable | when a material is full of tiny, connected air spaces that allow water to seep through it |
| soil | the loose, weathered material on Earth's surface in which plants can grow |
| bedrock | the solid layer of rock beneath the soil |
| humus | a dark-colored substance that forms as plant and animal remains decay |
| fertility | a measure of how well the soil supports plant growth |
| loam | soil that is made up of about equal parts of clay, sand, and silt |
| litter | the loose layer formed from shedded plant leaves |
| decomposer | organisms that break the remains of dead organisms into smaller pieces and digest them with chemicals |
Combine with other sets
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