Environmental Systems & Societies SL
Environmental Systems & Societies SL
9
Chapters
219
Notes
Unit 1 - Foundations Of Environmental Systems & Societies
Unit 1 - Foundations Of Environmental Systems & Societies
Unit 2 - Ecosystems & Ecology
Unit 2 - Ecosystems & Ecology
Unit 3 - Biodiversity & Conservation
Unit 3 - Biodiversity & Conservation
Unit 4 -Water & Aquatic Food Production Systems & Societies
Unit 4 -Water & Aquatic Food Production Systems & Societies
Unit 5 - Soil Systems & Terrestrial Food Production Systems & Societies
Unit 5 - Soil Systems & Terrestrial Food Production Systems & Societies
Unit 6 - Atmospheric Systems & Societies
Unit 6 - Atmospheric Systems & Societies
Unit 7 - Climate Change & Energy Production
Unit 7 - Climate Change & Energy Production
Unit 8 - Human Systems & Resource Use
Unit 8 - Human Systems & Resource Use
Internal Assessment
Internal Assessment
IB Resources
Unit 5 - Soil Systems & Terrestrial Food Production Systems & Societies
Environmental Systems & Societies SL
Environmental Systems & Societies SL

Unit 5 - Soil Systems & Terrestrial Food Production Systems & Societies

Unlocking Soil Secrets: Horizons & Moisture

Word Count Emoji
513 words
Reading Time Emoji
3 mins read
Updated at Emoji
Last edited on 5th Nov 2024

Table of content

Soil profiles & horizons - the basics🌍

  • What is a Soil Profile?
    • It’s like a “slice” of the Earth - a vertical cross-section of the soil layers.
    • Contains horizons (layers) with unique properties.
    • Earthworms can mix these layers up! 🐛
  • Horizons from Top to Bottom:
    • O horizon: The "Organic Layer". Think of it as the Earth's "hair"! 🍂
    • It's where vegetation sits.
  • A horizon: The "Topsoil Layer". Like the Earth’s "skin".
    • Dark due to organic matter.
    • Ap horizon: Mixed by humans using ploughing. The Earth’s "styled hair"?
  • E horizon: The "Eluviation Layer". Ever seen bleach-stained jeans? 🩳
    • Where leaching removes materials.
    • In a podzol: very light (ash-colored) = Ea.
    • In a brown earth: light brown = Eb.
  • B horizon: The "Subsoil". The Earth’s "muscles".
    • Material from the E horizon gathers here.
    • Iron, humus, clay are examples.
    • Sometimes it’s weathered.
  • Base horizon: The bedrock. The Earth’s "bones".
    • Distinguished as rock (r) or loose deposits (u).

States of matter in soil🌧️

  • The Solid State:
    • Organic and inorganic matter. Think of them as Earth's "building blocks".
  • The Liquid State:
    • Soil water, which can come from:
    • Rainfall 🌧️
    • Groundwater 💧
    • Seepage (like when you spill a drink and it seeps into the couch)
  • The Gaseous State:
    • Soil atmosphere. Yes, soil needs to breathe too!

What happens after rain🔄

  • Water in soil ↔️ Air in soil. They work like a seesaw.
  • More rain = more water, less air (and vice-versa).
  • Field Capacity: The maximum amount of water soil can hold (think of a cup being full).
  • If soil holds water beyond this, it’s like an overflowing bath. This is called saturation.
  • When too much rain falls too quickly, we get overland runoff. Imagine pouring water on a sponge - if you pour too fast, the water just runs off!

Unlock the Full Content! File Is Locked Emoji

Dive deeper and gain exclusive access to premium files of Environmental Systems & Societies SL. Subscribe now and get closer to that 45 🌟

Nail IB's App Icon
IB Resources
Unit 5 - Soil Systems & Terrestrial Food Production Systems & Societies
Environmental Systems & Societies SL
Environmental Systems & Societies SL

Unit 5 - Soil Systems & Terrestrial Food Production Systems & Societies

Unlocking Soil Secrets: Horizons & Moisture

Word Count Emoji
513 words
Reading Time Emoji
3 mins read
Updated at Emoji
Last edited on 5th Nov 2024

Table of content

Soil profiles & horizons - the basics🌍

  • What is a Soil Profile?
    • It’s like a “slice” of the Earth - a vertical cross-section of the soil layers.
    • Contains horizons (layers) with unique properties.
    • Earthworms can mix these layers up! 🐛
  • Horizons from Top to Bottom:
    • O horizon: The "Organic Layer". Think of it as the Earth's "hair"! 🍂
    • It's where vegetation sits.
  • A horizon: The "Topsoil Layer". Like the Earth’s "skin".
    • Dark due to organic matter.
    • Ap horizon: Mixed by humans using ploughing. The Earth’s "styled hair"?
  • E horizon: The "Eluviation Layer". Ever seen bleach-stained jeans? 🩳
    • Where leaching removes materials.
    • In a podzol: very light (ash-colored) = Ea.
    • In a brown earth: light brown = Eb.
  • B horizon: The "Subsoil". The Earth’s "muscles".
    • Material from the E horizon gathers here.
    • Iron, humus, clay are examples.
    • Sometimes it’s weathered.
  • Base horizon: The bedrock. The Earth’s "bones".
    • Distinguished as rock (r) or loose deposits (u).

States of matter in soil🌧️

  • The Solid State:
    • Organic and inorganic matter. Think of them as Earth's "building blocks".
  • The Liquid State:
    • Soil water, which can come from:
    • Rainfall 🌧️
    • Groundwater 💧
    • Seepage (like when you spill a drink and it seeps into the couch)
  • The Gaseous State:
    • Soil atmosphere. Yes, soil needs to breathe too!

What happens after rain🔄

  • Water in soil ↔️ Air in soil. They work like a seesaw.
  • More rain = more water, less air (and vice-versa).
  • Field Capacity: The maximum amount of water soil can hold (think of a cup being full).
  • If soil holds water beyond this, it’s like an overflowing bath. This is called saturation.
  • When too much rain falls too quickly, we get overland runoff. Imagine pouring water on a sponge - if you pour too fast, the water just runs off!

Unlock the Full Content! File Is Locked Emoji

Dive deeper and gain exclusive access to premium files of Environmental Systems & Societies SL. Subscribe now and get closer to that 45 🌟

AI Assist

Expand

AI Avatar
Hello there,
how can I help you today?