Title: Chapter 15: Weathering, Soil, and Unstable Slopes
1Stop Treating Soil Like Dirt! Exploring the
Amazing Properties of SoilDr. Greg
Pillar Department of Environmental ScienceQueens
University of Charlotte
2Q Whats the difference between soil and dirt?
A. Location, location, location!
3Lets Get Dirty!
Er, Soily?
4What is Soil?
How would you describe soil?
5Why the color?
Hematite red
Goethite yellowish brown
Ferrihydritereddish brown
http//www.pitt.edu
http//www.organicgardeninfo.com
Calcite off white
Quartzwhite
Organic matterblack
6Soil Color Variation
7Soil Color by Horizon
Fun Fact It takes 100 to 600 years to form an
inch of topsoil.
A horizon organic coatings
B horizon Iron coatings
C horizon little coating
http//nesoil.com
8Soil Color Variation by Geography
Red soils Southeast US
9Soil Color Variation by Geography
Brown/black soils Midwest
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11Soil Color Variation by Geography
White (gypsum) sands New Mexico
http//www.scienceclarified.com
12Soil Components
Q What did the shy pebble say to the big rock?
A. Do you think Ill ever be alittle boulder?
http//school.discoveryeducation.com
13Thien, 1979
14Fine Texture - Clay
https//www.soils.org/lessons
15Course Texture - Sand
https//www.soils.org/lessons
16Soil Texture
Fun Fact There are over 20,000 different soil
types of soil recognized in the US alone!!!!
The relative portions of sand, silt, and
clay-sized particles
Sand 2.0 0.05 mm
Silt 0.05 0.002 mm
Clay lt 0.002 mm
17Sand Silt Clay 100
40 Sand
Texture LOAM
40 Silt
20 Clay
18What is Soil?
The unconsolidated mineral or organic matter on
thesurface of the earth that has been subjected
to andshows effects of genetic and environmental
factors.
19Soil Components
Organic Matter (leaves, plant roots, etc) (5)
Air (25)
A layer
Rocks(Minerals) (45)
B layer
Water (25)
C layer
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21Why is Soil Important?
Fun Fact 1 teaspoon of good soil contains more
than 1 million bacteria!
Fun Fact There are more living organisms in a
cubic foot of soil then all of China!
Soil supports life
http//www.Istockphoto.comL. Clarke and Corbis,
2008
22Soil stores important nutrients
Phosphorus (P) Nitrogen (N) Potassium (K) Calcium
(Ca) Magnesium (Mg)
http//www.lesco.com/
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24Soil Holds Water
25Soil provides support for buildings
http//www.pbase.com
26Soil filters, buffers, detoxifies.
Soil
http//extension.missouri.edu
27Why is Soil Texture Important?
28Lets Do The Demo!
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