How Is Dirt Made?

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Dirt is mostly made of bits and pieces of this rock, which is broken down into smaller and smaller pieces.
Dirt is mostly made of bits and pieces of this rock, which is broken down into smaller and smaller pieces.
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“Ask a Science Teacher” by Larry Scheckel answers over 200 common questions about science.
“Ask a Science Teacher” by Larry Scheckel answers over 200 common questions about science.

Ask a Science Teacher(The Experiment, 2011) by Larry Scheckel is sure to resolve the everyday mysteries you’ve always wondered about. You’ll learn how planes really fly, why the Earth is round, how microwaves heat food, and much more — before you know it, all your friends will be asking you! This section answers how dirt is created.

Dirt is the thin layer of soil that covers our planet. In most places, it is just a few feet thick, because nearly all of the Earth is a big, hard, solid rock, with an inner liquid core.

Dirt is mostly made of bits and pieces of this rock, which is broken down into smaller and smaller pieces because of weathering and microorganisms breaking down plant matter. Moisture, temperature, wind, rain, freezing, and thawing are all part of the weathering process. Over hundreds of years, rocks break down into tiny grains, and these small grains, mixed with plant and animal matter — decayed roots, leaves, dead bugs and worms, and other organic matter thrown in, along with water and air — is what we call dirt or soil.

The type of rock determines the alkalinity and texture of the soil. Limestone produces soils that are fertile, neutral (not base or acid), and finely textured. We have a lot of limestone-based soils where I’m from in Wisconsin. Soft shale rock yields a heavy clay soil. Sandstone becomes a coarse, sandy soil. Granite gives a sandy loam and acidic soil.

Dirt that is dark and black has a lot of old plants in it. The dark soils of southern Minnesota are some of the richest on Earth. Dirt that is light-colored contains a lot of silicate, or sand. Sandy soils drain quickly and tend to need a lot of water to grow productive crops, which is why you often see irrigation systems on land with sandy soil.

  • Published on Jun 22, 2018
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