Decreases in infiltration rates after a wildfire are also attributed to a fire-induced reduction in soil wettability. Gasses that are produced by the burning of organic matter condense onto soil particles, making them water repellent or ____________________.

Question

Decreases in infiltration rates after a wildfire are also attributed to a fire-induced reduction in soil wettability. Gasses that are produced by the burning of organic matter condense onto soil particles, making them water repellent or ____________________.

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Hydrophobic — meaning “water‑repellent.”

Relevant knowledge points: Organic matter burned in wildfires volatilizes into gases and vapors (long‑chain hydrocarbons and waxy compounds). As these hot gases cool, they condense onto soil particle surfaces and pore walls, forming a thin, nonpolar coating that reduces the soil’s affinity for water (wettability). This process lowers infiltration and increases runoff and erosion risk.

Step‑by‑step reasoning:
1. Combustion of plant litter and organic horizons produces volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and pyrolytic oils.
2. These VOCs travel with the hot gases into and through the soil profile.
3. When temperatures drop, the vapors condense onto mineral and organic soil surfaces, leaving a hydrophobic film.
4. A hydrophobic film is nonpolar and repels polar water molecules, raising the contact angle and reducing capillarity.
5. Reduced wettability translates directly to lower infiltration rates and increased surface runoff after rainfall.

Intermediate/calculation steps: none required for a vocabulary/soil‑process question; the logical chain above is the “calculation” of cause → effect.

Why “hydrophobic” is correct: Hydrophobic literally means “water‑fearing” and is the standard term in soil science to describe water‑repellent soil coatings formed after fires. It concisely captures the property (repels water) produced by condensed organic compounds.

Why other plausible terms are incorrect: “Hydrophilic” is the opposite (attracts water) and thus wrong. “Oleophobic” refers to repelling oils, not water, so it’s irrelevant. Terms like “hydrostatic” or “hydrolytic” are unrelated to surface wettability. The conventional and precise term in the literature is hydrophobic.

Conclusion: The correct term is hydrophobic, matching the provided answer.

Decreases in infiltration rates after a wildfire are also attributed to a fire-induced reduction in soil wettability. Gasses that are produced by the burning of organic matter condense onto soil particles, making them water repellent or ____________________.Short answer

Similar Questions

What bit pattern is represented by the following hexadecimal pattern: 6A3 Answer must contain 4 bits per symbol.

Use hexadecimal notation to represent the following bit pattern: 1101110000111111 Letters in your answer should be capitalized.

Perform the following addition in binary notation: 1011.01 + 1.101

Convert to binary: 23 Your answer must start with a 1 (no leading zeros).

valid = 7 * 2 – 5 / 3;

num = 17 / 2.0 + 4;

Display the output: cout << ‘f’ – ‘b’;

Which is true for comments?

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler