Soil Profiles

3. To wear away, or remove, rock or soil particles by water, ice, and/or gravity.
4. A soil texture with moderate amounts of sand, silt, and clay, sometimes in nearly equal proportions. Good texture for farming and gardening.
6. A horizon from which minerals, clay, and/or organic matter have been leached.
7. A soil structure. Soil particles are arranged into shapes that resemble small cubes with sharp or rounded edges.
8. Lacking in something important. A deficiency of nutrients in a plant, for example, can stunt its growth.
10. The smallest-sized soil particles. Often have plate-like shapes. Feels sticky when wet. Also refers to a soil texture that consists of at least 40% clay particles.
12. Soil particles in between sand and clay in size. Silt feels like flour (smooth and velvety). Also refers to a soil texture that consists of at least 80% silt particles.
13. The remains of plants and animals after they have decomposed. Can be used to fertilize soil and to improve its structure and ability to hold water.
14. Organic matter such as highly decomposed leaves.
16. Mass of solid rock beneath the soil. Can be parent material if it is close enough to the surface to weather into soil.
17. To break down rocks and minerals at or near Earth’s surface into smaller particles and soil

1. The process by which plants, some bacteria, and some algae use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into food and oxygen.
2. Water that collects underground in the pore spaces of soil and rock. An important source of drinking water.
5. To break down a compound into simpler compounds. Often accomplished with the help of micro-organisms.
9. A substance added to soil that contains plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium
11. A layer of soil with properties that differ from the layers above or below it
15. The largest-sized soil particles. Sand feels gritty. Also refers to a soil texture that consists of at least 85% sand particles.