Soil nature, characters and position on Earth's crust.
Soil archtecture: particle size, texture, structure, porosity.
Soil-water relations, water movement in soil.
Chemical weathering, proton donors, cation mobility.
Soil formed minerals.
Adsorption and ion exchange.
Soil horizons.
Soil forming factors. Main soil types according to time factor. Stratigraphy and soils, palaeosols, soil dating.
Lecture notes and slides (pdf)
Lecture notes on the major soils of the world www.fao.org/3/a-y1899e.pdf
Learning Objectives
Ability to reckon soils in geological investigation and to use them as part of geological archives.
Ability to point out the relations between soil and hydrogeological and environmental risks.
Prerequisites
None
Teaching Methods
Lectures, 32 hrs.
Assisted field work, 16 hrs.
Further information
None
Type of Assessment
Single oral exam
Course program
Soil nature and characters; soil position on the Earth's crust and its functions.
Soil acrhitecture: particle size, texture, structure, porosity.
Soil-water relations, water holding, water movement in soils.
Chemical weathering, proton donors, water solubility of cations. Neoformation minerals: SROMs, clays, iron oxides.
Adsorption and ion exchange.
Soil horizons. Pedogenesis and soil geography, soil-forming factors.
Analysis of major soil types, arranged according to time factor.
Application to soil of stratgiraphic concepts, palaeosols, soil dating.