Geochemistry of natural waters Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Geochemistry of natural waters - Term Paper Example However there a lot of evidence of human influence that either positively or negatively affect the whole cycle. Therefore in studying geochemistry of natural waters we will try to explain how the water cycle, the soil organic matters its importance, the behavior of some soil components and their interactions (Benites, 2005). The geological process involves a series of actions where hot molten material coming to the earth’s surface from the interior forms igneous rocks which are then broken down by weathering to create soil and the sedimentary rocks. The geologic cycle is a collective term used to describe complex interactions between component sub-cycles of the tectonic, hydrologic and biological cycling of elements. These sub-cycles will influence each other and in the end result to natural hazards and other processes which may be important to the environmental geology e. g ground water flow. Soil Chemistry and soil fertility Soil Chemistry Soil being the top layer of the ear th’s crust supports the growth of some organic matter and is made up of components such as pH, nutrient level plus the organic content which in the end determines the type of the soil (Regina, 2006). However the factors listed above will either vary depending on the type of crop which grows in that soil type and within a given geographic location. These factors will result to different soil quality types and the soil quality can be best determined by conducting soil test. Soil can be modified to suit other purposes such as farming. This can be done in several ways such as liming. This is the use of lime powder that will be spread on the soil to alter the pH of the soil. This is made possible because of the presence of Calcitic limestone (CaCo3) (Tan, 2011). This is usually a good source of Calcium and neutralizes the soil acidity. For plants survival there are nutrients to facilitate the growth the three most important being Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen which can be obtained i n large quantities from the atmosphere and water surrounding the plant that is ground water. Therefore the ground water plays a big role in the whole cycle. Soil chemistry began with early observations by experimenters. The first study was by J. Thomas. With time came to prove that, it is indeed true that soils can retain cations in exchange for equal amount of Calcium (Ca2+) ions (Tan, 2011). Soil Fertility With the term soil fertility we refer to that situation where a given type of soil is very rich in nutrients such as potassium nitrogen and phosphorous which are requirements for plant nutrition. With it also would be sufficient minerals and soil organic matter (Cuevas, 1994). The mineral traces are majorly for plant nutrition while the organic matter helps to improve the soil structure and enable the soil retain more moisture. Fertile soils have a good soil structure, facilitating proper drainage. However some soils are known to be wetter and retain more water content than othe rs. Soil formation in itself is a very long process and can take up to 100-10000 years for a single inch to be formed. This can be attributed to several factors such as climate, topography living organisms and most important is the parent material. The parent material result from the breakdown of rocks or from the deposits by