How was soil formed? Detailed answer

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How was soil formed? Detailed answer

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How was the soil formed?

If the surface of our Earth were not covered with soil, man would not be able to exist on it. Without soil, there would be no vegetation, and man and other animals would not be able to get their own food.

Soil is a light, powdery covering in which vegetation grows. It consists of small stones, remains of vegetation and animal organisms. Small stones at one time were large rocks, the remains of plants and animals belonged to living plants and living beings.

The hardest rocks erode over time. Constantly there is a process of "weathering" - the destruction of rocks. Glaciers bring masses of rocks, destroying rocks and mountains.

In combination with chemical elements, water dissolves and washes out some types of rocks. Temperature changes contribute to the destruction of mountains. From heating and cooling, cracks form on the surface of the rocks. Water gets there, which, when frozen, further destroys the mountains. Even the roots of plants destroy rocks. Tree seeds fall into cracks in rocks, they give rise to shoots and, with their roots, also contribute to the destruction of rocks. The wind, which brings sand, completes the destructive work.

But this is only the beginning of soil formation. For the formation of real soil in the sand or in the smallest particles of rock, it is necessary to add "humus". Humus is an organic matter obtained from plants and animal remains.

As a result of the activity of bacteria, the remains of almost all plants and animals turn into soil. Bacteria decompose them and increase soil fertility. Earthworms and other insects also enrich the soil. The most fertile is the top layer of soil, called the "arable layer". It has the most humus. The next layer is the subsoil, which mainly consists of the remains of rocks. Even lower is the bedrock.

Author: Likum A.

Random interesting fact from the Great Encyclopedia:

Why did Zeus give the Nereid Thetis as a wife to a mortal?

Although Thetis was a sea goddess, she grew up on Mount Olympus, where she was raised by Hera, whom Thetis loved very much. Thetis stood out for its beauty even among the beauties of the Nereids, and therefore both the Thunderer Zeus and his brother Poseidon, the lord of all earthly waters, thought about marriage with her. However, both of them were afraid of the prophecy, according to which the son born to Thetis would be much more powerful than his father.

Some even say that Zeus was offended by Thetis because she, for the sake of her adoptive mother Hera, rejected his courtship, and swore that she would never marry an immortal. One way or another, but Zeus decided to pass Thetis off as a mortal - though not a simple one, but his grandson Peleus. Anticipating that the immortal Thetis would refuse marriage to a mortal, the wise centaur Chiron hid his friend Peleus in the bushes on the coast of the island, where Thetis, driving dolphins, often sailed to enjoy daytime sleep in a cave.

As soon as Thetis entered the cave and fell asleep, Peleus followed and squeezed her in his arms. They fought silently but fiercely. Thetis turned into fire, then into water, then into a lion, then into a snake, but Peleus, warned of this, did not let go of her, even when she turned into a slippery cuttlefish and released burning ink. Burnt, wet, tormented, bitten and smeared with a sticky liquid, Peleus did not let her leave. Thetis surrendered - nothing could separate their passionate embrace.

In full accordance with the prophecy, Thetis gave birth to a son, who was given the name Achilles.

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