This page provides a brief outline of, lists the main points of, gives links to figures for, and lists the assigned reading for a lecture in Dr. Bruce Railsback's GEOL 1121 class at the University of Georgia. This page is not intended as a set of lecture notes, and it cannot subsititute for a set of lecture notes. Familiarity with this page alone will not assure satisfactory grades on exams in the course.

Lecture 22 (Wednesday, March 13, 2002): Soil

Brief outline of this lecture:
Soil Definition
Soil organic components
Soil Horizons
Variation in soils

Main points of this lecture:
Soils have multiple unappreciated components.
Soils contain lots of organic matter and organisms.
Soils are conventionally divided in A, B, and C horizons.
Chemical weathering and eluviation are important processes in soil development.
Soil horizons vary with climatic and vegetative setting

Figures used in this lecture:
A definition of soil, and a catalog of organic components
Soil organic components
Soil horizons
Soil processes
Four soil profiles
Some of the photographs used in class came from pages at the University of Idaho and University of Minnesota.

Reading assignment: pp. 253-268.

Next Lecture
Email to Railsback (rlsbk@gly.uga.edu)
Railsback's main 1121 web page
Railsback's main web page
UGA Geology Department web page