II – Origin of Soil
Soil is a complex blend of minerals, organic matter, water and air. Different factors contribute to
the quantity of these in a particular soil. Some soils have more minerals than others such as a
desert soil and others such as a swampy soil (mostly found in Canada) has more organic matter
than others. Soils are formed from the weathering of rocks and minerals over a very long period
of time i.e. approximately over thousand years or more (rock cycle). Weathering is the process of
breaking down of rocks into smaller pieces. Two types of weathering occur; physical and
chemical. Physical weathering is simply the breaking down of bigger rocks into smaller pieces
and chemical weathering is when the smaller pieces have a different chemical composition than
their parent rock.
Factors that affect soil formation
Source: [Link]
Soil Types: Although other types of soils are present, four main types of soils and most
commonly found are Gravel, Sand, Silt, & Clay. These differ mainly because of their particle
sizes
Source: [Link]
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Naturally occurring soils are usually a mixture of two or more of the above components. In
addition, the void space between the soil particles may be filled with either water or air. The
behavior of soil is governed by soil fabric, weak layers, and other defects in the material. Because
the soil is so complex, it is necessary to be able to CLASSIFY the soil based on ENGINEERING
BEHAVIOR.
Nature of Soil Material
1) Highly variable spatially: Heterogeneous.
2) Nonlinear stress-strain response.
3) Inelastic.
4) Anisotropic (depositional and loading history)
5) Multiphase system (soil, water, and air).
Geomorphic Processes
The exterior layer of the crust (regolith) is the interest of geotechnical engineers. Geomorphic
processes are continually acting on the Earth’s surface creating and modifying landforms:
important to
know where
soil is coming
from because
that will give
intrinsic
characteristics
of the soil
Source ([Link]
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Gradation
Gradation is a process in which topography is changed by action of water, air, ice, and
weathering factors in general. A conceptual model of gradation involves the geomorphic
processes: endogenic (e.g. diastrophism and volcanism) and exogenic (weathering, erosion and
deposition).
Conceptual Model of Gradation
Source ([Link]
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2.1 ROCK CYCLE
The geological cycle takes millions of years:
• Disintegration (mechanical action by wind, water, glaciation), and
• Decomposition (chemical action by oxidation and hydration).
Source: [Link]
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[Link]
2.2 WEATHERING PROCESS
Trends in weathering conditions that take place under acid conditions common in humid-temperate regions.
Source ([Link]
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Weathering can be mechanical (disintegration) or chemical (decomposition, e.g. rusting of steel).
Mechanical weathering Chemical weathering
T Oxidation
Freezing and Thaw Carbonation
Splitting action of plant roots Hydration
Abrasive movements Vegetation
Weathering
Effects
also need to be aware of
the transportation
process bc it will tell us Source: [Link]
about the transportation
of the soil
2.3 TRANSPORTATION, SORTING, DEPOSITION
• Water transported
• Wind transported
Water transported soils
(deltas: low bearing capacity, high compressibility, good for agricultural purposes; dams)
First step of the process
of transportation of soil
by water – raindrops
impacting soil.
but if you if have soil that's
more uniform or well graded.
you have particles that could go
in between voids and the more
compact the soil is going to be
and the better for taking loads
and the less the deformation.
Source: [Link]
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Wind transported soils
Sand blowing off a crest in the Kelso Dunes of the Mojave Desert, California.
Photograph taken by Mark A. Wilson (Department of Geology, The College of Wooster)
Source: ([Link]
2.4 TRANSPORTATION AND WEATHERING PRODUCTS
Below is a list of types of soils produced by transportation and weathering
• Residual soils – are formed when the weathered products stay at their place of origin
• Glacial soils – are formed by transportation and deposition of soils (Figure below)
Source: [Link]
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• Alluvial soils – are formed when transported by running water and deposited along
streams
• Aeolian soils – are transported and deposited by wind
• Marine soils – formed by deposition in the seas (Figure below)
Source: [Link]
• Lactustrine – formed by deposition in quiet lakes
• Colluvial soils – formed by movement of soil from its original place by gravity, such as
during landslides.
Diagrammatic representation of sedentary and transported soils
Source ([Link]
Knowledge of geological processes involved during the genesis of soils is very important for the
Geotechnical Engineer because the genesis of soils affects the soil’s engineering properties.
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