Soil Formation

Parent Materials

100

Sediments deposited by streams as they flood.

Alluvium

200

Soil that was moved and deposited by wind. 

Loess

300

Occur where formerly shallow ponds supported swamp vegetation. 

Organic Matter

400

Found in Southern Indiana. 

Bedrock

500

Soil that was formed when the glaciers melted. 

Outwash

Living Organisms

100

Has the greatest affect on the development of soil, stemming from plants that once grew in it. 

Native Vegetation

200

Due to the decaying organic matter found on top of the soil, this soil has a thin dark layer.  

Timber Soils

300

When tilled, this type of soil mixes with soil below to produce a lighter color. 

Timber Soils

400

Deep and dark surface layer due to roots of prairie grass. 

Prairie Soils

500

Other living organisms that impact soil development.

Earth worms, crawfish, insects, ground squirrels, and other burrowing animals. 

Weathering

100

Two types of weathering soils. 

Physical and Chemical Weathering

200

Weathering that is caused by the effects of the weather. 

Physical Weathering

300

Weathering that causes changes within the chemical makeup of rocks and breaks it down. 

Chemical Weathering

400

Rainwater is mildly _____. 

Acidic

500

Weathering causes soils to ______. 

Develop, mature, and age.