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Soils develop because of the weathering of materials on Earth’s surface, including the mechanical breakup of rocks, and the chemical weathering of minerals. Soil development is facilitated by the downward percolation of water.
Weathering describes the means by which soil, rocks and minerals are changed by physical and chemical processes into other soil components. Weathering is an integral part of soil development. Depending on the soil-forming factors in an area, weathering may proceed rapidly over a decade or slowly over millions of years.
The factors that affect the nature of soil and the rate of its formation include climate (especially average temperature and precipitation amounts, and the consequent types and intensity of vegetation), the type of parent material, the slope of the surface, and the amount of time available.
Learn how weathering and soil formation are influenced by climate, parent material, slope, and time. Explore the factors, types, and horizons of soil, and the importance of soil for life on Earth.
The process of soil formation generally involves the downward movement of clay, water, and dissolved ions, and a typical result of that is the development of chemically and texturally different layers known as soil horizons.
Apr 24, 2024 · As it smooths rough, sharp rock surfaces, weathering is often the first step in the production of soils. Tiny bits of weathered minerals mix with plants, animal remains , fungi, bacteria, and other organisms.
Soil formation, also known as pedogenesis, is the process of soil genesis as regulated by the effects of place, environment, and history. Biogeochemical processes act to both create and destroy order ( anisotropy) within soils.
