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CE322 Origin of Soil
CE322 Origin of Soil
Grain Size
Three types of rocks
Origin of Soil and Grain Size
Flowing water is one of the most important agents of transportation of soils. Swift
running water carries a large quantity of soil either in suspension or by rolling along the bed.
Water erodes the hills and deposits the soil in the valleys. All type of soils carried and
deposited by water are known as alluvial deposits. Deposits made in lakes are called
lacustrine deposits. Marine deposits are formed when the flowing water carries soils to ocean
or sea.
Soil particles are transported by wind. The particle size of the soil depends upon the
velocity of wind. The finer particles are carried far away from the place of the formation. A
dust storm gives a visual evidence of the soil particles carried by wind. Soils deposited by
wind are known as aeolian deposits.
Loess
These deposits have low density, high compressibility, low bearing
capacity, and high permeability
Glaciers are large masses of ice formed by the compaction of snow. As the glaciers
grow and move, they carry with them soils varying in size from fine-grained to huge boulders.
Soils gets mixed with the ice and are transported far away from their origin position. Drift is a
general term used for the deposits made by glaciers directly or indirectly. Deposits directly
made by melting of glaciers are called till.
Soils can be transported through short distances under the action of gravity. Rock
fragments and soil masses collected at the foot of the cliffs or steep slopes had fallen from
higher elevation under the action of the gravitational force. Colluvial soils, such as talus, have
been deposited by the gravity. Talus consists of irregular, coarse particles. It is good source of
broken rock pieces and coarse-grained soils for many engineering works.