Climate and soil
The location of climates:
- latitude - cooler towards high latitudes.
- altitude - cooler towards high altitudes.
- water - has a moderating effect on temperature
- prevailing winds and atmospheric circulation
- ocean currents and circulation
Examples of climate and location - the Hadley Cell - broad atmospheric
circulation
- Tropical Rainforests (Af)
- Warm Desert/Dry (Bwh) climate
Soil orders and processes as they relate to climate
Example of a soil from a Tropical Rainforest (Af) climate
Oxisol - tropical rainforest soils - very fragile and infertile
- tropical humid - intensely leached, practically no humus, low fertility
- laterization - enriched in Fe and Al hydroxide (bauxite)
Example of a soil from a Desert/Dry (Bwh) climate
Aridosol - fertile soils of the Western US desert, arid grass,
brush
- alkaline/basic soil -quite fertile, but fragile - little organic matter
- calcification - caliche deposits in B and C horizons
- salinization - precipitation of minerals to the top of the soil