METAMORPHI

C ROCKS AND
SOIL
BY DIVYA KAUSHIK
METAMORPHI
C ROCKS
WHAT ARE METAMORPHIC
ROCKS?

 Metamorphic rocks are the rocks that get

formed under great heat and pressure.
Igneous and sedimentary rocks, when
subjected to heat and pressure, get
transformed into metamorphic rocks. For
example, clay changes to slate and limestone
into marble.
 HOW ARE
METAMORPHIC
ROCKS MADE?

 Metamorphic rocks form

when rocks are subjected to
high heat, high pressure, hot
mineral-rich fluids or, more
commonly, some combination
of these factors. Conditions
like these are found deep
within the Earth or where
tectonic plates meet.
HOW TO IDENTIFY
METAMORPHIC
ROCKS?
 Metamorphic rocks are
rocks that have become
changed by intense heat or
pressure while forming.
One way to tell if a rock
sample is metamorphic is to
see if the crystals within it
are arranged in bands.
Examples of metamorphic
rocks are marble, schist,
gneiss, and slate.
 MARBLE FROM
LIMESTONE

 Marble is a metamorphic rock formed by the

alteration of limestone by heat and pressure. The
calcite in the limestone changes and fossils and
layering in the original limestone disappear as
interlocking grains grow. If the limestone is pure, a
white marble is formed. Limestones may include layers
of clay or sand which may form the attractive flow
banding and colours found in decorative marble.
SOIL
 WHAT IS
SOIL?

 Soil is the thin layer of

material covering the earth's
surface and is formed from the
weathering of rocks. It is made
up mainly of mineral particles,
organic materials, air, water
and living organisms.
WHAT IS VITAL SOIL?

 Soil is very important. It holds

plant roots in place to provide
essential nutrients, and provides
the plant with a foundation for life.
 SOIL TYPES

There are
Three main Clay Sandy
soil types:

Loamy
 Clay soil – it is soil that is comprised of very fine mineral particles and not
much organic material.

 Sandy soil- These  are those that are generally coarse textured until 50 cm
depth and consequently retain few nutrients and have a low water holding
capacity.

 Loam soil- It is composed mostly of sand, silt, and a smaller amount of

clay. By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration
of sand–silt–clay, respectively.
SOIL
PROPERTIES

 Soil physical properties

include texture,
structure, bulk density,
porosity, consistency,
temperature, color and
resistivity.
HOW TO TEST SOIL TEXTURE
Remove the top 2” of soil and all the grass roots. Dig a small, straight-sided hole at least 8” deep. Pointing the shovel
straight down, slice off a chunk of soil about 1” thick and carefully lift it out of the hole. Remove any roots, twigs, or
rocks.

Use the shovel to slice off a small cross section of the soil sample. Place the soil in the jar, so that the jar is about 1/3
full of soil.

Fill the jar with water, add a teaspoon of detergent, and shake for several minutes until the soil is thoroughly
suspended in the water.

The coarse sand particles will settle out first; followed by the darker, finer silt. Last will be the lighter, superfine clay while organic matter
will float. If you wait until everything has settled, it can be hard to sort out which is which. To make identification easier, mark the sand level
on the jar after one minute, the silt level after 4-6 hours, and the clay level after two days. The sample above was taken from my yard.

Once the soil has settled, it’s time to determine the percentage of sand, silt, and clay relative to the total soil level. To
calculate the percentage, divide the depth of each layer of soil by the total soil depth in the jar, and multiply by 100. The
above sample was taken from farmland in eastern North Carolina – note the high sand level and near-absence of floating
organic matter.
 Once the soil has settled, it’s time to determine the percentage of sand, silt, and clay relative to the total soil level.
To calculate the percentage, divide the depth of each layer of soil by the total soil depth in the jar, and multiply by
100. The above sample was taken from farmland in eastern North Carolina – note the high sand level and near-
absence of floating organic matter.
 SOIL DRAINAGE

 Soil drainage is a

natural process by
which water moves
across, through, and out
of the soil as a result of
the force of gravity.
THANKYOU