Across
- 3. the decaying organic matter in soil
- 4. the process by which rainwater dissolves and carries away minerals and nutrients in topsoil
- 8. weathering the breakdown of rock into smaller pieces of the same material without any change to its composition
- 9. the ability to let water pass through
- 10. the process in which transported sediment is laid down
- 11. the process in which layers or sheets of rock gradually break off
- 15. the process by which natural forces break down rocks and soil
- 17. a chemical reaction in which an element combines with oxygen to form an oxide; iron oxide = rust
- 18. the top layer of soil that contains humus
Down
- 1. weathering breakdown or decomposition of rock that takes place when minerals change through chemical processes
- 2. horizon a soil layer with physical and chemical properties that differ from those of the soil layers above or below it
- 5. the makeup of rock or soil describing the minerals or elements present in it
- 6. the process of wearing something down by friction
- 7. the expansion of desert conditions in an area where the natural plant cover has been destroyed
- 12. the amount of open space between an object
- 13. the size, shape, and position of the particles of soil
- 14. layer of rock beneath the soil
- 16. the process in which sediment is picked up and moved from one place to another