SOIL AND ROCK

SOIL

Soil can be defined as the organic and inorganic materials on the surface of the earth that
provide the medium for plant growth. Soil develops slowly over time and is composed of many
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different materials. Inorganic materials, or those materials that are not living, include weathered
rocks and minerals.
Chances are that you haven't thought a lot about the soil under your feet, but you may be
surprised at the complexity of soil. Soil varies in its composition and the structure of its particles,
and these factors are closely examined by farmers, who need appropriate soil for planting crops,
as well as engineers who may need to understand how soil is going to hold up under different
demands.

How is soil formed?

Soil is formed from the breakdown of rocks into tiny pieces called sediments. The
rocks are broken down through the process of weathering due to exposure to
extreme temperature changes, windblown particles, precipitation and flowing water,
and ice. Soil also contains nutrients that are returned to the soil when the remains of
dead plants and animals are broken down by organisms that live in the soil. These
nutrients are used by plants to grow and stay healthy. Soil components are
determined by the types of rock that produce the sediments and by the types of
organisms that livein the area.

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Why is soil important?

Soil supports plant production and plants provide food and oxygen for animals. Soil
also provides habitats for animals. 3) What is weathering? The breakdown of rock
into smaller pieces, called sediments, due to exposure to extreme temperature
changes, windblown particles, precipitation and flowing water, and ice. 4) How is
water able to break down rocks? When water makes its way into the cracks and
crevices of rocks and then freezes, the water turns to ice and expands, which can
then break the rock apart. Fast flowing water can also cause rocks to break down
when they are rolled and tumbled against other rocks in a stream or riverbed. 5) How
do plants and animals affect the formation and composition of soil? Decaying leaves
and other plant parts add nutrients back into the soil. Animals and insects break up
hard compacted soil and add nutrients to the soil through their wastes. As roots of
plants and animals break up the soil, they create open spaces for air and water.
At first you may think of soil as just dirt. Something you want to get rid of. However,
soil plays a very important role in supporting life on Earth.

• Plants - Many plants need soil to grow. Plants use soil not only for nutrients,
but also as a way to anchor themselves into the ground using their roots.
• Atmosphere - Soil impacts our atmosphere releasing gasses such as carbon
dioxide into the air.

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 • Living organisms - Many animals, fungi, and bacteria rely on soil as a place to
live.
• Nutrient cycles - Soil plays an important role in cycling nutrients including the
carbon and nitrogen cycles.
• Water - The soil helps to filter and clean our water.

What does soil contain?

Soil contains many things.

The layers of soil can easily be observed by their colour and size of particles. The
main layers of the soil are topsoil, subsoil and the parent rock. Each layer has its own
characteristics. These features of the layer of soil play a very important role in determining
the use of the soil.
The uppermost layer is called topsoil and this layer contains humus, plant roots, and living
creatures. The more humus found in topsoil, the more nutrient rich the topsoil and the better
the conditions for growing plants. The middle layer is called subsoil. This contains more clay
and less organic matter. Beneath this is a layer of rocks called bedrock. As the bedrock or
parent material is broken down it becomes weathered into bits and pieces naturally by water,
ice, wind, and plants. These bits and pieces of rock form a large part of our soil.

Depending on the type of soil there may be several layers. There are three main
horizons (called A, B, and C) which are present in all soil.

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 • Organic - The organic layer (also
called the humus layer) is a thick
layer of plant remains such as
leaves and twigs.
• Topsoil - Topsoil is considered the
"A" horizon. It is a fairly thin layer
(5 to 10 inches thick) composed of
organic matter and minerals. This
layer is the primary layer where
plants and organisms live.
• Subsoil - Subsoil is considered the
"B" horizon. This layer is made
primarily of clay, iron, and organic
matter which accumulated through
a process called illuviation.
• Parent material - The parent
material layer is considered the
"C" horizon. This layer is called the
parent material because the upper
layers developed from this layer. It
is made up mostly of large rocks.
• Bedrock - The bottom layer is
several feet below the surface.
The bedrock is made up of a large
solid mass of rock.

Weathered rock comes in a wide range of shapes and sizes. The largest particles in
soil are gravel. The other particles in soil are sand, silt, and clay. The smaller the
particle size the more easily water is held in the soil. The larger particle size the
easier it is for water to seep through it and this soil contains lots of air. Roots need
water, and air for oxygen. The best texture for plant growth is called loam, which has
all three of the different particle sizes (sand, silt, and clay. The loam allows plants to
get a sufficient amount of both water and air.

Types of soil
Clayey soil is defined as soil that comprised of very fine mineral particles and
not much organic material. The resulting soil is quite sticky since there is not
much space between the mineral particles, and it does not drain well at all. If
you have noticed that water tends to puddle on the ground rather than soak in,
it is likely your ground consists of clay. clay soil has some good qualities. Clay,
because of its density, retains moisture well. It also tends to be more nutrient-
richer than other soil types.

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Sandy Soil is light, warm, dry and tend and low in nutrients. Sandy soils are often
known as light soils due to their high proportion of sand and little clay (clay weighs
more than sand). These soils have quick water drainage and are easy to work with.
Root Crops—like carrots, beets, radishes, and other tap-rooted vegetables—perform
much better in sandy soils than in clay soils. ... Herbs, which need good drainage,
often thrive in sandy soils.

Loamy soil is a mixture of soil that is the ideal plant-growing medium. It is actually a
combination soil, normally equal parts of clay, silt, and sand, which gives the

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benefits of each. Loam soils are best for plant growth because sand, silt, and clay
together provide desirable characteristics. First, the different-sized particles leave
spaces in the soil for air and water to flow and roots to penetrate. The roots feed on
the minerals in the suspended water.

ROCKS

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 All rocks are useful but some are very precious to us. Rocks are of different
types.

What is a rock?

A rock is a solid made up of a bunch of different minerals. Rocks are generally not
uniform or made up of exact structures that can be described by scientific formulas.
Scientists generally classify rocks by how they were made or formed. There are
three major types of rocks: Metamorphic, Igneous, and Sedimentary.

• Metamorphic Rocks - Metamorphic rocks are formed by great heat and

pressure. They are generally found inside the Earth's crust where there is
enough heat and pressure to form the rocks. Metamorphic rocks are often
made from other types of rock. For example, shale, a sedimentary rock, can
be changed, or metamorphosed, into a metamorphic rock such as slate or
gneiss. Other examples of metamorphic rocks include marble, anthracite,
soapstone, and schist.

o Igneous Rocks - Igneous rocks are formed by volcanoes. When a

volcano erupts, it spews out hot molten rock called magma or lava.
Eventually the magma will cool down and harden, either when it
reaches the Earth's surface or somewhere within the crust. This
hardened magma or lava is called igneous rock. Examples of igneous
rocks include basalt and granite.

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• Sedimentary Rocks - Sedimentary rocks are formed by years and years of

sediment compacting together and becoming hard. Generally, something like
a stream or river will carry lots of small pieces of rocks and minerals to a
larger body of water. These pieces will settle at the bottom and over a really
long time (perhaps millions of years), they will form into solid rock.

The Rock Cycle

Rocks are constantly changing in what is called the rock cycle. It takes millions of
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years for rocks to change.

Here is an example of the rock cycle describing how a rock can change from
igneous to sedimentary to metamorphic over time.

Space Rocks

There are actually some rocks that come from space called meteorites. They may have
different elements or mineral make up than a typical earth rock. Typically they are made
up mostly of iron.

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Granite is a light-coloured igneous rock with grains large enough to be visible with the
unaided eye. It forms from the slow crystallization of magma below Earth's
surface. Granite is used in buildings, bridges, paving, monuments, and many other
exterior projects. Indoors, polished granite slabs and tiles are used in countertops, tile
floors, stair treads and many other design elements.

Diamond is the hardest rock on earth. It is very precious and is used to make jewellery.

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Marble is a metamorphic rock which is produced when limestone is subjected to the heat
and pressure of. Marble is used for making statues, buildings and monuments.

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