Soil science

thumb|right|An actively eroding rill on an intensively-farmed field in eastern [[Germany. This phenomenon is aggravated by poor agricultural practices because when ploughing, the furrows were traced in the direction of the slope rather than that of the terrain contour lines.]] Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is distinct from weathering which involves no movement. Removal of rock or soil as clastic

thumb|Humus has a characteristic black or dark brown color and is an accumulation of Soil carbon|organic carbon. Besides the three major [[soil horizons of (A) surface/topsoil, (B) subsoil, and (C) substratum, most soils have an organic horizon (O) on the very surface. Hard bedrock (R) is not in a strict sense soil.]]

study of soil as a natural resource on the surface of the earth

300px|thumb|Soil Profile on Chalk at Seven Sisters Country Park, England

Soil salinization happens when the salt content in soil increases above normal, naturally occurring levels

right|220px|thumb|Arid regions of the Western United States as mapped in 1893

thumb|281x281px|Defoliants are used as an aid in the harvesting of certain crops such as cotton. thumb|2,4-D, one of the first chemical herbicides used as a defoliant.|281x281px thumb|U.S. Army Huey helicopter spraying [[Agent Orange over agricultural land during the Vietnam War.|283x283px]]

Edaphology (from Greek , edaphos 'ground' + , -logia) is concerned with the influence of soils on living beings, particularly plants. It is one of two main divisions of soil science, the other being pedology. Edaphology includes the study of how soil influences humankind's use of land for plant growth as well as people's overall use of the land. General subfields within edaphology are agricultural soil science (known by the term agrology in some regions) and environmental soil science. Pedology deals with pedogenesis, soil morphology, and soil classification.

property of a soil defined by the exact grain size distribution of its finer-grained anorganic matter

Suffosion is one of the two geological processes by which subsidence sinkholes or dolines are formed, the other being due to collapse of an underlying cave or void, with most sinkholes formed by the suffosion process. Suffosion sinkholes are normally associated with karst topography although they may form in other types of rock including chalk, gypsum and basalt. In the karst of the UK's Yorkshire Dales, numerous surface depressions known locally as "shakeholes" are the result of glacial till washing into fissures in the underlying limestone.

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process in geotechnical engineering to increase soil density

classification of soil types

study of microbial and faunal activity and ecology in soil

ice column formed when liquid groundwater rises into freezing air

the study of soil's physical properties and processes

thumb|right|250px|alt=This is a diagram and related photograph of soil layers from bedrock to soil.|A represents soil; B represents [[laterite, a regolith; C represents saprolite, a less-weathered regolith; beneath C is bedrock.]]

Latosols, also known as tropical red earth, are soils found under tropical rainforests which have a relatively high content of iron and aluminium oxides. They are typically classified as oxisols (USDA soil taxonomy) or ferralsols (World Reference Base for Soil Resources). Latosols are tropical soils, but not all soils in the tropics are latosolic. Latosols are red or yellowish-red in colour throughout and they do not have distinct horizons like a podsol. The red colour comes from the iron oxides in the soil. They are deep soils, often extending deep whereas podsols are deep.

volume occupied by liquid and gas phases in a soil

Humins are carbon-based macromolecular substances, that can be found in soil chemistry or as a by-product from saccharide-based biorefinery processes.

morphological property of soil

rainwater harvesting technique

soil

dimensionless quantity related to porosity

thumb|right|400px|Distribution of Albeluvisols Albeluvisol was a Reference Soil Group of the first edition (1998) and the second edition (2006) of the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB). In the third edition of the WRB (2014), Albeluvisols were replaced by the broader defined Retisols. An Albeluvisol is a soil with a thin, dark surface horizon on a bleached subsurface horizon (an albic horizon) that tongues into a clay illuviation (Bt) horizon. The Bt horizon has an irregular or broken upper boundary resulting from the tonguing of bleached soil material into the illuviation horizon.

hydrological property of soil

a state of soil, meeting ecosystem functions

in soil science, decomposition or oxidation of the chemical compounds in organic matter

geological measurement

application of methods to protect soil and enhance its performance

Hydropedology is an emerging field formed from the intertwining branches of soil science and hydrology. Similar to hydrogeology, hydroclimatology, and ecohydrology, the emphasis is connections between hydrology and other of the earth's spheres. In this case, hydropedology focuses on the interface between the hydrosphere and the pedosphere.

study of animals that live in soil

capabilities of soils that are important for various applications

thumb|Look of tomato plants when missing essential nutrients they need Agrominerals (also known as stone bread or petrol fertilizer) are minerals of importance to agriculture and horticulture industries for they can provide essential plant nutrients. Some agrominerals occur naturally or can be processed to be used as alternative fertilizers or soil amendments. The term agromineral was created in the 19th century and is now one of the leading research topics for sustainable agriculture. These geomaterials are used to replenish the nutrients and amend soils. Agrominerals started with small uses

solid carbon stored in global soils

controlling the problem of soil salinity

degree of variation of life forms associated with soil

Type of mathematical model