| theImage.com Notes on Basic Geology | |||||
| Notes created & information organization based on the book: "The Dynamic Earth - an introduction to physical geology" Brian Skinner & Stephen C. Porter (further book information here) also look at www.wiley.com for additional resource information |
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| Weathering - Page 8 | |||||
| Rate of Soil formation vs. Rate of Loss
The Good news: the rate of soil formation is faster than would be expected if it were related directly to the rate of chemical erosion of bed rock. Soil formation is very fast in the first few years of conversion, but then gradually reaches steady state and slows from then on. The Bad news: due to deforestation and poor land management by man, the rate of soil loss now far exceeds the rate of new soil creation. The worlds most productive soils are being depleted at the rate of about 7% per decade. At the current rate of loss, about 40% of our total soil will be gone in 70 years. |
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| What can be done?
1.) reduce defoliation |
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| Weathering and the Rock Cycle
Plate tectonics are responsible for bringing new rock to the surface. Without new rock, the continents would eventually weather away and all land would be at or near sea level. The sun provides the energy to move water in its cycles and thus produces the energy for weathering, both physical and chemical. |
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