Where Does Soil Come From?

Soil comes from the exposed parts of primitive rock that formed the entire surface of the Earth a long time ago.

These bits of rock were broken down by rain, water, extreme heat and cold and by the movement of glaciers, in a process known as weathering.

After they were pulverized, gravity, winds and water brought them down to plains and valley.

As time went on, they formed new rocks completely unlike the ones they originally came from.

Weathering continued at the same time as rocks were being formed.

Usually, the broken down material was deposited where it was formed, so most soils resemble, in some way, the rocks that are beneath them.

However, sometimes rivers and streams carry away material to low-lying areas far from where they originated.

This explains why we sometimes find soils that are not related to the rocks beneath them.

After plant life appeared on Earth, lichens assisted in soil formation and made it possible for moss to grow.

Moss made soils bulkier.

Mosses were followed by more complex plants and then by animals.

As these living things died out and decayed, their bodies were added to the soils, forming the soils that we are familiar with today.