Ripples spreading from an initial bump sedi sedi.pdf

oil is a complex and dynamic natural resource that serves as the foundation for terrestrial life. It is a vital component of the Earth's ecosystem, providing essential services that support agriculture, water filtration, and carbon storage, among others.

▎Composition of Soil

Soil is composed of four primary components:

1. Mineral Particles: These are derived from the weathering of rocks and constitute the bulk of soil. They include sand, silt, and clay, each varying in size and contributing different properties to the soil. Sand particles are the largest, providing good drainage but low nutrient retention. Silt is medium-sized and retains moisture well, while clay particles are the smallest, holding nutrients but often leading to poor drainage.

2. Organic Matter: This includes decomposed plant and animal materials, known as humus. Organic matter is crucial for soil fertility as it enhances nutrient availability, improves soil structure, and increases water retention.

3. Water: Soil contains varying amounts of water, which is essential for plant growth and microbial activity. The water content can fluctuate based on precipitation, irrigation, and evaporation.

4. Air: Soil also contains air pockets that provide oxygen to roots and soil organisms. The balance of air and water in soil is critical for healthy plant growth.

1. Sedimentary+Rocks+
12.001+–+17+September+2012+

2. underwater.com.au+
Courtesy of Geological Society of America. Used with permission.
Source: Hagadorn, James W., Robert H. Dott, et al. "Stranded on
a Late Cambrian shoreline: Medusae from Central Wisconsin."
Geology 30, no. 2 (2002): 147-50.
Courtesy of Profberger on wikipedia. License: CC-BY.

3. Cambrian,+
Courtesy of Paul Myrow. Used with permission.
Newfoundland+ P.+Myrow+

4. 30 cm
1 second in movie = 10 minutes real time
Ripples spreading from an initial bump
Light
direction

5. Grotzinger+&+Jordan,+
+Understanding+Earth+
© W. H. Freeman and Company. All rights reserved. This content is excluded from our Creative
Commons license. For more information, see http://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/.

6. Grotzinger+&+Jordan,+
+Understanding+Earth+
© W. H. Freeman and Company. All rights reserved. This content is excluded from our Creative
Commons license. For more information, see http://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/.

7. Grotzinger+&+Jordan,+Understanding+Earth+
© W. H. Freeman and Company. All rights reserved. This content is excluded from our Creative
Commons license. For more information, see http://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/.

8. Grotzinger+&+Jordan,+Understanding+Earth+
© W. H. Freeman and Company. All rights reserved. This content is excluded from our Creative
Commons license. For more information, see http://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/.

9. Grotzinger+&+Jordan,+Understanding+Earth+
© W. H. Freeman and Company. All rights reserved. This content is excluded from our Creative
Commons license. For more information, see http://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/.

10. Brown+et+al.,+2007+
© source unknown. All rights reserved. This content is excluded from our Creative
Commons license. For more information, see http://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/.

11. bhikku.net+
© source unknown. All rights reserved. This content is excluded from our Creative
Commons license. For more information, see http://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/.

12. snowballearth.org +
Photograph of dropstone removed due to copyright restrictions. See figure 1.23 on SnowballEarth.org.

13. snowballearth.org +
Photograph of dropstone removed due to copyright restrictions. See figure 4.2 on SnowballEarth.org.

14. snowballearth.org +
Photograph of dropstone removed due to copyright restrictions. See figure 3.6 on SnowballEarth.org.

15. snowballearth.org +
Photograph of giant wave ripples removed due to copyright restrictions. See figure 4.18 on SnowballEarth.org.

16. NASA/JPL/Cornell+
Courtesy of NASA. Images in the public domain.

17. NASA/JPL/Cornell+
Courtesy of NASA. Images in the public domain.

18. Squyres+et+al.,+2004+
Courtesy of NASA. Images in the public domain.
Source: Squyres, Steve W., J. P. Grotzinger, et al. "In Situ Evidence for an Ancient Aqueous
Environment at Meridiani Planum, Mars." Science 306, no. 5702 (2004): 1709-14.

19. NASA/JPL/Cornell+
Courtesy of NASA. Images in the public domain.

20. © Society for Sedimentary Geology. All rights reserved. This content is excluded from our
Creative Commons license. For more information, see http://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/.
Bernard+et+al.,+SEPM,+1999+

21. Squyres+et+al.,+2004+
Courtesy of NASA. Images in the public domain.

22. Squyres+et+al.,+2004+
Courtesy of NASA. Images in the public domain.

23. MIT OpenCourseWare
http://ocw.mit.edu
12.001 Introduction to Geology
Fall 2013
For information about citing these materials or our Terms of Use, visit: http://ocw.mit.edu/terms.