SPSS 2120 Exam 1 Review Questions
and Answers
Mechanical weathering process results in... - ANSWER-the disintegration of rocks due
to the different expansion of minerals
Which of the following is *not* considered one of the 5 major factors influencing soil
formation?
- native parent materials
- living organisms
- climate
- valence state
- topography - ANSWER-Valence state
Residual parent material is best described as... - ANSWER-materials formed by
weathering of rocks and minerals in one place
Glacial till is a term used to parent materials that... - ANSWER-contain a heterogeneous
mixture of mineral debris dropped by receding glaciers
Which temperature regime would provide the warmest and least variable soil
temperature? - ANSWER-Isohyperthermic
Which taxonomic soil category provides the greatest amount of specificity? - ANSWER-
series
A soil has a thick black A horizon, a distinct B horizon, reasonably stable structure, and
formed under grassland vegetation. What would be an accurate name for this suborder
of soil? - ANSWER-udoll
Soils in this order are commonly sandy in texture, quite acidic, and typically form under
coniferous soils in cold climates - ANSWER-Spodosols
Which soil would contain a significant content of low activity clay? - ANSWER-Ultizols in
the Congo river basin
In which great group would you find soils with wide crack during periods of dry weather?
- ANSWER-Calciuerts
What type of soil would have a constantly frozen horizon? - ANSWER-Histels
, An ________ moisture regime contains a higher degree of soil moisture than an ustic
one - ANSWER-aquic
The broadest category of soil classification specifies there are... - ANSWER-12 soil
orders, 11 of which are mineral soils
The only soil order that isn't a mineral soil is... - ANSWER-Histosols
Andisols are most commonly found near... - ANSWER-active volcanos
_______________ are catagorized by a deep A horizon soft when dry and rich in OM -
ANSWER-Mollisols
Vertisols are catagorized by their large content of... - ANSWER-silicate clays which
shrink when dry and expand when moist
Histosols have more __________ than Mollisols - ANSWER-organic matter
Drumlin - ANSWER-An oval or elongated hill believed to have been formed by the
streamlined movement of glacial ice sheets across rock debris, or till.
Moraine - ANSWER-a mass of rocks and sediment carried down and deposited by a
glacier, typically as ridges at its edges or extremity.
Lacustrine - ANSWER-Sediments relating to or associated with lakes
Outwash - ANSWER-material carried away from a glacier by meltwater and deposited
beyond the moraine.
The solum is comprised of these horizons (when they are prrsent) - ANSWER-O, A, E,
B
The furthest edge of a glacier prior to its retreat will result in - ANSWER-a terminal
moraine
if a soil horizon is a transition horizon between E and B, and the dominant horizon is
mostly *B*, and the pieces of each *are not* distinct, then you would describe this
horizon as - ANSWER-BE
if a soil horizon is a transition horizon between E and B, and the dominant horizon is
mostly *B*, and the pieces of each *are* distinct, then you would describe this horizon
as - ANSWER-B/E
and Answers
Mechanical weathering process results in... - ANSWER-the disintegration of rocks due
to the different expansion of minerals
Which of the following is *not* considered one of the 5 major factors influencing soil
formation?
- native parent materials
- living organisms
- climate
- valence state
- topography - ANSWER-Valence state
Residual parent material is best described as... - ANSWER-materials formed by
weathering of rocks and minerals in one place
Glacial till is a term used to parent materials that... - ANSWER-contain a heterogeneous
mixture of mineral debris dropped by receding glaciers
Which temperature regime would provide the warmest and least variable soil
temperature? - ANSWER-Isohyperthermic
Which taxonomic soil category provides the greatest amount of specificity? - ANSWER-
series
A soil has a thick black A horizon, a distinct B horizon, reasonably stable structure, and
formed under grassland vegetation. What would be an accurate name for this suborder
of soil? - ANSWER-udoll
Soils in this order are commonly sandy in texture, quite acidic, and typically form under
coniferous soils in cold climates - ANSWER-Spodosols
Which soil would contain a significant content of low activity clay? - ANSWER-Ultizols in
the Congo river basin
In which great group would you find soils with wide crack during periods of dry weather?
- ANSWER-Calciuerts
What type of soil would have a constantly frozen horizon? - ANSWER-Histels
, An ________ moisture regime contains a higher degree of soil moisture than an ustic
one - ANSWER-aquic
The broadest category of soil classification specifies there are... - ANSWER-12 soil
orders, 11 of which are mineral soils
The only soil order that isn't a mineral soil is... - ANSWER-Histosols
Andisols are most commonly found near... - ANSWER-active volcanos
_______________ are catagorized by a deep A horizon soft when dry and rich in OM -
ANSWER-Mollisols
Vertisols are catagorized by their large content of... - ANSWER-silicate clays which
shrink when dry and expand when moist
Histosols have more __________ than Mollisols - ANSWER-organic matter
Drumlin - ANSWER-An oval or elongated hill believed to have been formed by the
streamlined movement of glacial ice sheets across rock debris, or till.
Moraine - ANSWER-a mass of rocks and sediment carried down and deposited by a
glacier, typically as ridges at its edges or extremity.
Lacustrine - ANSWER-Sediments relating to or associated with lakes
Outwash - ANSWER-material carried away from a glacier by meltwater and deposited
beyond the moraine.
The solum is comprised of these horizons (when they are prrsent) - ANSWER-O, A, E,
B
The furthest edge of a glacier prior to its retreat will result in - ANSWER-a terminal
moraine
if a soil horizon is a transition horizon between E and B, and the dominant horizon is
mostly *B*, and the pieces of each *are not* distinct, then you would describe this
horizon as - ANSWER-BE
if a soil horizon is a transition horizon between E and B, and the dominant horizon is
mostly *B*, and the pieces of each *are* distinct, then you would describe this horizon
as - ANSWER-B/E
