Minerals, basic component of rocks. Today: One Rock. Minerals. Common minerals Igneous + Metamorphic Rocks. Weathering Rocks Minerals Clays

Today: • Apply chemical, physical weathering Minerals, basic component of rocks A naturally occuring inorganic (usually) material with certain physic...
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Today: • Apply chemical, physical weathering

Minerals, basic component of rocks A naturally occuring inorganic (usually) material with certain physical properties

• Types of parent material

Minerals • • • • • • •

Sulfides - pyrite (FeS2) Oxides - hematite (Fe2O3) Halides - flourite (CaF2) Carbonates - calcite (CaCO3) Phosphates - apatite (Ca5(PO4)3) Sulfates - gypsum (CaSO4) Silicates…...

Common minerals Igneous + Metamorphic Rocks Light • Quartz – SiO2

• Muscovite – KAl3Si3O10(OH)2

Dark • Biotite – KAl(MgFe) 3O10(OH)2

• Augite – Ca2(Al,Fe) 4(Mg,Fe)4 Si6O24

One Rock • Churt - high in Si • Dolomite Ca and Mg carbonates • Sphalerite ZnS

Weathering Rocks Minerals Clays • Rocks get broken down into smaller and smaller pieces until the pieces consist of single minerals • These minerals small enough: silt and clay fraction

• Hornblende – Ca2Al 2Mg2Fe3Si6O22 (OH)2

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Weathering Rocks Minerals Clays

Physical Weathering (disintegration) • Result of Temperature

• Capacity to weather depends on basic mineral composition – Softer will break down faster – Higher Fe, Mg will break down faster

Physical Weathering • Different minerals within a solid will react differently to changes in temperature • Presence of water will accelerate process

Physical Weathering (disintegration) • Result of Water, Ice, and Wind

Chemical Weathering • Accelerated by: – Water – Oxygen – Organic and inorganic acids

Chemical Weathering (decomposition)

• All things that you don’t find in the mantle

• Oxidation

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Chemical Weathering • Hydration - + H2O • Solid + water = hydrated solid – Al2O3 + 3 H2O

Al2O3• 3 H2O

Chemical Weathering • Hydrolysis - H2O H+ + OH• Solid + water = solid + ion + OH– KAlSi3O8 + 11 H2O OH-

HAlSi3O8 +K+ +

Oxidation Chemical Weathering • Acidity - H+ • Solid + acid = ions – CaCO3 + H2CO3

Ca2+ 2HCO3 -

Carbonation = Acidification • Text calls weathering of rocks by H2CO3 (carbonic acid) carbonation • Process is one type of acidification

LEO - will occur in aerobic environment • 2FeS + 5H2O + 4.5 O2 + 2H2 SO4-

2Fe(OH)3

Chemical weathering of igneous and metamorphic rocks • Rocks higher in Fe and Mg will tend to weather faster • Will lose Fe and Mg in the process

• Fe in primary minerals is black • As Fe oxidized (weathers) it turns red like rust

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KAlSi3O8

Basic Trends

Type of feldspar • KAlSi3O8 + H20

HAlSi3O8 +K+ +OH-

• HAlSi3O8 + H20

Al2O3 +6H4SiO4

• Base forming cations (Mg, Ca, K) will tend to go into solution –Important source of plant nutrients

• Si will tend to form H4SiO4 –This is a soluble acid and will weather

• Al and Fe will tend to form oxide minerals

Rock to Soil Granite Element P Ca Si Fe

In Rock 0.057 1.07 32.9 2.5

In Soil 0.035 0.23 21.8 8.54

Weathering process %Change -38 -79 -34 +242

Older soils • Will have less soluble nutrients • Will have more Fe and Al oxides • Will have more ??? color

• Primary minerals Secondary minerals (including clays) • Generally associated with loss of Si, P, K, Mg… • Increase in prevalence of Fe and Al clays

Which mineral would you expect to form a fertile soil? • Quartz- SiO2 • Olivine - (Mg,Fe)2SiO4

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Where would you expect rocks to weather faster? Where would you expect rocks to weather faster?

Both sites (Alaska and Puerto Rico) are wet Higher temperatures in Puerto Rico will accelerate weathering process

Puerto Rico, Oxisol

Alaska, Gelisol

Where would you expect more rapid chemical weathering?

Where would you expect more rapid chemical weathering?

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Desert vs Tropical Rainforest • Temperature regime is similar • Water will accelerate weathering process • Physical weathering will be predominant mechanism in desert

Where would you expect expansion of water due to freezing to play a greater role in weathering?

Utah, Aridisol

Puerto Rico, Oxisol

Where would you expect expansion of water due to freezing to play a greater role in weathering?

Greenland vs Vermont • For freezing water to play an important role in weathering, it has to thaw as well • Freeze, thaw cycles accelerate weathering process

Alaska, Gelisol Vermont, Spodisol

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It may not seem like fun, but…. • What process is going on here? 3MgFeSiO4 + 2H2O H4Mg3Si2O9 + SiO2 + 3FeO • And here? 4FeO + O2 2Fe2O3

Nature of the parent material will greatly influence time it takes to make soil and the nature of the soil that is formed

Colluvial debris: Rocks that have fallen down hills

Weathered Rocks from the lithosphere are the parent materials for soils

Types of Parent Material • • • • • •

Residual Colluvial Water Ice Wind Organic material

Residual: Parent material in place

Woodson soil series, KS formed from sediment

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• Water:Alluvial deposits Sediment that is deposited by rivers

• Water:Alluvial deposits Sediment that is deposited by rivers

Water:Marine (sediments deposited by oceans)

Water:Lacustrine (materials deposited by lakes)

Glacial till: Material transported by glacial ice Pleistocene Epoch 2 million years

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Glacial till: Material transported by glacial ice

Paloose - eolian materials

Eolian: Materials transported by wind Loess

Eolian: Materials transported by wind

Volcanic ash

Organic:Wet areas where accumulation> decomposition Peat bogs

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(1)Parent materials + 4 other factors of soil formation • • • •

Climate Topography Time Biota

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