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Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from soil by restricting the former term specifically to displaced soil. Soil measuring and surveying device
Soil is made up of a multitude of physical, chemical, and biological entities, with many interactions occurring among them. It is a heterogenous mixture of minerals and organic matter with variations in moisture, temperature and nutrients. Soil supports a wide range of living organisms and is an essential component of terrestrial ecology.
Common types of dirt include: Debris: scattered pieces of waste or remains; Dust: a general powder of organic or mineral matter; Filth: foul matter such as excrement; Grime: a black, ingrained dust such as soot; Soil: the mix of clay, sand, and humus which lies on top of bedrock. The term 'soil' may be used to refer to unwanted substances or ...
Soil particles can be classified by their chemical composition as well as their size. The particle size distribution of a soil, its texture, determines many of the properties of that soil, in particular hydraulic conductivity and water potential, [1] but the mineralogy of those particles can strongly modify those properties. The mineralogy of ...
The term lunar soil is often used interchangeably with "lunar regolith" but typically refers to the finer fraction of regolith, that which is composed of grains one centimetre in diameter or less. Some have argued that the term "soil" is not correct in reference to the Moon because soil is defined as having organic content, whereas the Moon has ...
Soil mechanics is used to analyze the deformations of and flow of fluids within natural and man-made structures that are supported on or made of soil, or structures that are buried in soils. [6] Example applications are building and bridge foundations, retaining walls, dams, and buried pipeline systems.
Pore space is that part of the bulk volume of soil that is not occupied by either mineral or organic matter but is open space occupied by either gases or water. In a productive, medium-textured soil the total pore space is typically about 50% of the soil volume. [55]
To estimate by hand in the field, soil scientists take a handful of sifted soil and moisten it with water until it holds together. The soil is then rolled into a ball nearing 1-2 inches in diameter and squeezed between the thumb and side of the index finger. Ribbons should be made as long as possible until it naturally breaks under its own weight.