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Individual soil bodies



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ID # 260

Individual soil bodies
Soils are like people...but different, too.

STEM Standard addressed: ESS2A - Earth Materials and Systems


Appropriate Grade Level(s)
  • All
Materials are best used for
  • Classroom Lectures
  • Distance Education Classes
General Course Areas
  • Environmental Science
  • Introduction to Soil Science
  • Soil Taxonomy and Genesis

Category: Geomorphology & Geology


Description
Like individual people, each soil is different. However, soil properties (thickness of horizons, colors, textures, etc.) vary more or less gradually across a landscape. Therefore soils change gradually from one individual into another, despite the fact that soil maps represent soil boundaries as definite lines. In this regard different soils are somewhat like different colors. Green and yellow are definitely two different colors, but the boundary between them on the spectrum is defined rather arbitrarily. Thus, two distinctly different soils may exist side by side, even though boundary between the two may be fuzzy and gradual.

Method
Soils pictured are from northeast Zambia and Lockyer Valley in Australia. Exact locations note recorded.

References
Weil, R.R., and N.C. Brady. 2017. Geographic Soils Information. Chapter 19 in The Nature and Properties of Soils. 15th ed. Pearson, Columbus. 1086 p.

Peer Review: No

Credit this item to: Image by Ray Weil
Media Date: 2016-01-01
Provided By: Dr. Raymond R. Weil


Author(s)/Creator(s)

  • * Raymond R Weil
    University of Maryland

Submitted By: Dr. Raymond R. Weil


Keywords

  • polypedon
  • soil individual
  • natural body
  • soil profile
  • spectrum
  • soil boundaries

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