Soil

Soil is made up of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms, all of which work together to support life. The pedosphere, or body of soil on Earth, serves four fundamental functions:

• as a growing medium for plants, 
• as a means of storing,
• supplying, and purifying water, 
• as an alternative to the Earth’s atmosphere, 
• as a place for organisms to live. 

Soil is sometimes known as earth or dirt; some scientific definitions differentiate dirt from the soil by limiting the former term to displaced soil alone.

Soil

Soil is the loose surface covering the bulk of the land. here both inorganic and organic particles are present in it. Soil provides structural support for agricultural plants as well as a source of water and nutrients.

The chemical and physical qualities of soils vary widely. Leaching, weathering, and microbiological activity all combine to produce a wide range of soil types. Each cultivar has specific strengths and weaknesses in terms of agricultural output.

Physical characteristics of soil

All of the visible and tactile properties of soils are included in the physical qualities of soils, such as texture, colour, depth, structure, porousness (the space between the particles), and the amount of stone.

Because it allows water and air to flow into and through the soil profile, soil structure is critical for soil and plant health. Soil holds water for plant growth and allows equipment and animals to move freely.

While certain soils are more organised naturally than others, appropriate management can alter some of their physical characteristics.

To understand the status of the soil, it’s necessary to keep track of its physical features. It is also critical to ensure that management practices do not contribute to soil degradation. For example, excessive traffic compacts the soil and reduces the number of macropores, or spaces between the aggregates, reducing the amount of air and water that may enter and depart the soil.

Soil pollution

The presence of harmful substances (pollutants or contaminants) in the soil at concentrations high enough to threaten human health and/or the environment is referred to as soil pollution. Even if the amounts of contaminants found naturally in soil are not high enough to constitute a risk, soil pollution is defined as when the levels of contaminants in soil surpass the levels that should be present naturally.

Soil pollution causes

All soils, whether polluted or not, contain a range of naturally occurring substances (contaminants). Pollutants include metals, inorganic ions and salts (such as phosphates, carbonates, sulphates, and nitrates), and a wide range of organic compounds (such as lipids, proteins, DNA, fatty acids, hydrocarbons, PAHs, alcohols, etc.).These chemicals are mostly generated by soil microbial activity and organism degradation (e.g., plants and animals. Many substances also indulge in the soil through the environment, including precipitation water, surface water bodies, shallow groundwater moving through the soil, wind activity, and various types of soil disturbances. When the quantities of soil pollutants exceed natural values, pollution develops (what is naturally found in distinct soils).

Soil profile 

Soil layers are the vertical portion through the soil to the underlying bedrocks known as the soil profile. This image depicts a sequence of horizontal layers, each with its own set of characteristics ranging from colour to texture that is distinct from the others. The features of soil sections are extremely significant in everything from building construction to other infrastructure projects.

Due to the time and intensity of weathering, geomorphic circumstances, and the strength of parent rocks, the vertical layers of soils display some variances. It also differs from one location to the next. These vertical layers in some soils contain signs of their parent rocks and soil formation processes. For example, if we dig a big pit (hole) vertically downwards into the ground of around 2 to 6 metres, we will detect numerous layers of soil horizons. A cross-sectional image of the ground (beneath the surface) and the types of soils and rocks that make up the soil profile can be obtained by looking at these layers from a distance. The Soil Profile is a cross-sectional image of the soil. Soil Horizons are layers that run parallel to the surface and make up the profile.

Each soil layer may differ somewhat or significantly from the one above it or below it. Each layer also has its tale to tell about its composition, age, texture, and other features. The strata are split into three categories: topsoil, subsoil, and bedrock. Depending on where the soil is generated, there are four or five soil layers or horizons.

1. Humus or organic materials can be found in the A-horizon or topsoil.
2. Minerals leached from the topsoil and minimal organic matter make up the B-horizon or subsurface.

Finally, there’s the C-horizon, which is a weathered rock, and the D-horizon, which is bedrock (subsoil, regolith and bedrock).

Conclusion

Soil is made up of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms, all of which work together to support life. Soil is sometimes known as earth or dirt; some scientific definitions differentiate dirt from the soil by limiting the former term to displaced soil alone. The presence of harmful substances (pollutants or contaminants) in the soil at concentrations high enough to threaten human health and/or the environment is classified as soil pollution. Soil layers are the vertical portion through the soil to the underlying bedrocks known as the soil profile.