Soil science

Soil science

That science dealing with soils as a natural resource on the surface of the earth including soil formation, classification and mapping; physical, chemical, biological, and fertility properties of soils per se; and these properties in relation to the use and management of soils.

Industry: Earth science

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Soil science

free iron oxides

Earth science; Soil science

A general term for those iron oxides that can be reduced and dissolved by a dithionite treatment. Generally includes goethite, hematite, ferrihydrite, lepidocrocite, and maghemite, but not ...

caliche

Earth science; Soil science

(i) A zone near the surface, more or less cemented by secondary carbonates of Ca or Mg precipitated from the soil solution. It may occur as a soft thin soil horizon, as a hard thick bed, or as a ...

bedrock

Earth science; Soil science

A general term for the solid rock that underlies the soil and other unconsolidated material or that is exposed at the surface.

intermittent stream

Earth science; Soil science

A stream, or reach of a stream, that does not flow year-round and that flows only when a) it receives baseflow solely during wet periods, or b) it receives ground-water discharge or protracted ...

soil genesis

Earth science; Soil science

(i) The mode of origin of the soil with special reference to the processes or soil-forming factors responsible for development of the solum, or true soil, from unconsolidated parent material. (ii) ...

smectite

Earth science; Soil science

A group of 2:1 layer silicates with a high cation exchange capacity, about 110 cmolc kg-1for soil smectites, and variable interlayer spacing. Formerly called the montmorillonite group. The group ...