Chapter 2 Vocabulary Crossword

a natural inorganic solid with a crystal structure and definite chemical composition
a solid made up of particles that line up in a pattern that repeats over and over again
series of processes on & beneath Earth’s surface that slowly change rocks from one kind to another
a type of rock that forms from the cooling of molten rock at or below the surface
a type of rock that forms when particles from other rocks or the remains of plants and animals are pressed and cemented together
is small, solid pieces of material that come from rocks or living things
rock that forms when a rock is changed by heat, pressure, or chemical reactions
one that is not replaced in a useful time frame
an ore is mixed with other substances and then melted to separate the useful metal from other elements the core contains
the process that breaks down rock and other substances at Earth’s surface
the transportation of sediment by wind, water, ice, or gravity
a principle that states that the same processes that operate today operated in the past
the type of weathering in which rock is physically broken into smaller pieces
the grinding away of rock by rock particles carried by water, ice, wind, or gravity
process that splits rock when water seeps into cracks, then freezes and expands
the process that breaks down rock through chemical changes
iron combines with oxygen in the presence of water through this process
a material that is full of tiny, connected air spaces that allow water to seep through it
the loose, weathered material on Earth’s surface in which plants can grow
the solid layer of rock beneath the soil
a dark-colored substance that forms as plant and animal remains decay
a measure of how well soil supports plant growth
soil that is made up of equal parts of clay, sand, and silt
a crumbly, dark brown soil that is a mixture of humus, clay, and other minerals
consists of clay and other particles washed down from the A horizon, but little humus
a substance that reacts strongly with some metals and changes blue litmus paper red
a substance that feels slippery and changes red litmus paper blue
a tool used to measure how acidic or basic something is, pH of 0 = highly acidic, pH of 14 = highly basic, pH of 7 = neutral
as plants shed leaves, they form a loose layer called ________________
organisms that break the remains of dead organisms into smaller pieces and digest them with chemicals
thick mass of tough roots at the surface of the soil
anything in the environment that humans use
the area of the Great Plains where wind erosion caused soil loss during the 1930’s
the management of soil to prevent its destruction
farmers plow their fields along the curves of a slope
farmers disturb the soil and its plant cover as little as possible
a farmer plants different in a field each year