Weathering, mass wasting and soil.

 Rock Decay

Rock decay is essential to earths geographical makeup, without it earth would be different from how it is today. Rock decay also plays an essential role in Jalisco's geography.  Weathering refers to the breakdown and decomposition of earth material in place. Erosion refers to the transport of weathered material. There are six types of physical/mechanical decay processes; frost wedging, pressure release, salt decay, thermal expansion and contraction, and finally root pressure. Frost decay occurs when water gets into the rocks cracks and upon freezing expands by about 11 percent thus causing a lot of pressure and making the crack a bit bigger. Pressure release is when a massive rock  forms under great pressure, quick erosion causes pressure release shells to “pop off” in slabs. Pressure of roots occurs when the root of plants gets into cracks in rocks and through pressure makes the crack expand.

 

This picture was taken while hiking in Jalisco.  We can see many types of physical rock decay. Including lots of pressure of root, basal salt decay, and cavernous salt decay including aveoli and tafoni.

 

 



Mass Wasting

Mass wasting is organized into falls, topples, slides, and flows. The key to a fall is a steep slope and detachment, and can include a group or a single rock at a time. This rock fall can produce talus, which can also accumulate in talus cones. There are three types of slides, translation, rotational slump, and rock avalanches. A Slides "occurs when downlsope movement occurs along a plane of weakness in the rock."



A fall about to occur any moment. We can see lots of talus at the bottom.



 

 Flows.

A Mudflows has lots of mud with little rock content. A Debris flows contains lots of mud with lots of rock debris. Debris and mud flows are not streams but they can travel 15 to 50 kilometers per hour.  

 

Mud flow after a rainy day in Huejuqilla el alto, Jalisco.

 

 

Soil: Earth's skin



 Soil is made up of air, minerals, organic matter, and water. Soil contains distinctive horizontal layers that differ in physical, chemical, and organic composition. These layers develop as a result of climate, living organisms, and configuration of land surface and are distinguished by color. In this picture we can see the different horizontal layers in the soil. In this case we can see horizons O, A, and B.

 

 

 



The First layer is the O Horizon. This is the surface horizon which contains both fresh and decaying organic material. The second horizon is the A. This layer is usually a darker color, this is where the roots of plants are at. The B horizon is the "mineral horizon of illuviation where minerals removed from above have collected." This is where the roots end.

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

Sources:

My notes and

http://clasfaculty.ucdenver.edu/callen/1202// 

  

Three of the photos are provided by: 

https://www.facebook.com/huejuquillaelaltojalisco/media_set?set=a.2361475164962.2104136.1492800946&type=3