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Soil Processes and Composition Analysis

This document contains an assignment submission for a soil science course. It includes the student's name and number, course details, assignment questions, and the student's responses. The questions cover topics like soil formation processes, profile horizons, composition of soil, and textural class determination through particle size analysis. The student provides definitions and explanations for the concepts and calculates textural classes based on provided particle size distribution data.

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Tlotliso Mphomela
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115 views4 pages

Soil Processes and Composition Analysis

This document contains an assignment submission for a soil science course. It includes the student's name and number, course details, assignment questions, and the student's responses. The questions cover topics like soil formation processes, profile horizons, composition of soil, and textural class determination through particle size analysis. The student provides definitions and explanations for the concepts and calculates textural classes based on provided particle size distribution data.

Uploaded by

Tlotliso Mphomela
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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NAME : TLOTITSO

SURNAME : MPHOMELA
STUDENT NUMBER : 202101291
COURSE CODE : AGS 211
ASSESSMENT : ASSIGNMENT 1
DUE DATE : 27 MARCH 2023
QUESTIONS
1.
i) Weathering
ii) Clay formation
iii) Leaching
iv) Podzolization
v) Salinization
2. a) Transformation: This involves the chemical weathering of sand and formation of clay
minerals, as well as the changing of coarse OM into decay resistant organic compounds (humus).
b) Translocation: This is the movement of soil components (organic or mineral) within the soil
profile and/or between horizons. (This process results in changes in colour, texture and structure
of the soil)
3.
i) Addition
ii) Losses
iii) Translocation
iv) Transformation
4. Soil profile can be defined as a vertical cross – section of the soil comprising of distinct layers
stacked on each other from the surface downwards to the underlying rock layer (parent material)
5. Horizons
Organic: O
Surface: A

Subsoil: B

Substratum: C

Bedrock: R
6. Composition of soil
Optimum soil (100

Solid space (50%) Pore space (50%)

Mineral matter (45%) Organic matter (5%) Water (25%) Air (25%)

7. Silica, alumina and iron oxide


8. Kaolinite, Smectites and Hydrous mica
9.

 SN % Sand % Silt % Clay Textural Class

1. 33 33 34 Clay loam

2. 55 30 15 Sandy loam

3. 80 5 15 Sandy loam

4. 25 60 15 Silt loam

5. - 20 50 Clay

6. 60 - 30 Sandy clay
loam

7. 40 40 - Loam

corrected hydrometer reading at 40 sec


10. Percent sand = × 100
mass of dried soil sample used
15
= ×100
50
corrected hydrometer reading at 2 hr
= 30%Percent clay = × 100
mass of dried soil sample used
5
= ×100
50
=10%
Percent silt = 100 - (%sand + %clay)
=100 - (30 + 10) = 100- 40 = 60%
Textural class of the soil is slit loam, sand and silty clay.
corrected hydrometer reading at 40 sec
11. Percent sand = × 100
mass of dried soil sample used
13
= ×100
25
= 52%
corrected hydrometer reading at 2 hr
Percent clay = × 100
mass of dried soil sample used
8
= ×100
25
= 32%
Percent silt = 100- (%sand + %clay)
=100- (52 +32)
=100-84
=16%
Textural class of the soil is sandy loam, sandy clay loam and clay.

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