Outline of Soil Formation Process

Topic Content:

Processes of Soil Formation:

The process of soil formation is called weathering .

Weathering is defined as the disintegration or breakdown of rocks into tiny pieces to form soil.

The processes of soil formation are:

1. Physical process
2. Chemical process
3. Biological process

1. Physical Process:

Agents of physical weathering are temperature, ice, wind, water and pressure.

• Temperature: The alternating heating and cooling of the rocks produce pressure within the rock and cause them to break down into pieces.

• Wind: As a result of the grinding of rock surfaces by solid materials carried by wind, water and moving air (glaciers) rocks break down to form soil.

• Ice: The conversion of water inside cracks in rocks into ice results in an increase in volume. The increase in volumes results in more pressure being exerted on the rock walls which eventually break into smaller pieces.

• Water: Running water carries some fragments of rocks along its course, and these rub against the surface of rocks in the river bed, thus breaking off small pieces of rocks.

2. Chemical Process:

Agents of chemical weathering include solution, carbonation, hydration, hydrolysis and oxidation. 

Explanation