Soil formation depends on the parent rock material, the climate and topography of the area, the organisms present in the soil and the time over which the soil has been developing. Over long periods of time, thousands and millions of years, the rocks near the surface of the earth are broken down by various physical, chemical and some biological processes. The end product of this breaking down is the fine particles of soil.Physical Process:

The Sun:The sun heats up rocks during the day so that they expand. At night, the rocks cool down and contract. This unequal expansion and contraction break up rocks into smaller pieces.

Water:Water can get into the cracks formed in the rock due to uneven heating by the sun. If the water freezes, it will widen the rocks. Also fast flowing water carries big and small particles of roc downstream, causing breakdown of rock in to smaller particles.

Wind:Strong winds erode rocks down.

Chemical Process:

Lichens grow on surface of rocks release chemical substances which cause the rock surface to powder down and form thin layer of soil.

Biological Process:

Living organisms: Some small plants grown in the cracks of rocks and the roots of big trees break the rocks.

Types of soil found in India -

Alluvial soil -Alluvial soil is most widespread soil. It is fond in the plain of India and in the flood plains and deltas of the major rivers

Black soil - Black soil is formed due to weathering of volcanic rocks. Therefore, it is also called black lava soil.

Red soil - Old ignious rocks weather to form red soil. The red soil is found in Peninsular India.

Mountain soil -Mountain soil is mainly found on the hill slopes covered with forest. This soil is formed due to the deposition oforganic matter.

Desert soil -Desert soil is found in hot semi-arid regions.

Laterite soil -Laterite soil is formed when heavy rain wash away the fertile upper part of the soil. Therefore, this soil is less fertile.

Yes this the correct Answer

Soil is the uppermost layer of the Earth’s crust, capable of supporting life. You know that the earliest civilizations almost always arose near river banks. This happened because the river provided a continuous supply of water and the soil along the river banks was very fertile. Thus, human settlements in different parts of the world followed the distribution pattern of fertile soil and water on the Earth.Soil provides water and minerals to plants for their growth. Without soil, there would be no vegetation and hence no animal life. Where do we look for soil? You would be tempted to say that soil covers the entire land surface of earth. However, this is not true. Large parts of Arctic and Antarctic regions are covered with ice and snow. Solid rocks present in mountains contain no soil. Ice, snow and rocks together constitute about one-fifth of the total land area.

Chances are that you haven't thought a lot about the soil under your feet, but you may be surprised at the complexity of soil. Soil varies in its composition and the structure of its particles, and these factors are closely examined by farmers, who need appropriate soil for planting crops, as well as engineers who may need to understand how soil is going to hold up under different demands. Soil is also vitally important to the sustainability of an ecosystem because it serves as the natural medium for the growth of vegetation. In this lesson, you will discover just what soil is and which factors are looked at when determining the structure and the types of soil.

So, what exactly is soil?Soilcan be defined as the organic and inorganic materials on the surface of the earth that provide the medium for plant growth. Soil develops slowly over time and is composed of many different materials. Inorganic materials, or those materials that are not living, include weathered rocks and minerals.Weatheringis the mechanical or chemical process by which rocks are broken down into smaller pieces. As rocks are broken down, they mix with organic materials, which are those materials that originate from living organisms. For example, plants and animals die and decompose, releasing nutrients back into the soil.

Soilis loose material that lies on top of the land. It is a mixture of many different things includingrock,minerals, water and air. Soil also has living things and dead things in it. We call the living and dead things "organic matter". Soil is important for life on Earth.

Because soil holds water andnutrients, it is anidealplace for plants to grow.[1]Soil holds the roots, and lets plants stand above the ground to collect the light they need to live. This helps plants grow.Fungiandbacteriaalso live in the soil. They eat the dead plants and animals. The broken down material becomes food for plants (nutrients).[2]

Many animals dig into the soil and make the soil their home. The large animals use soil to make dens for sleeping and giving birth. The small animals live most of their life in the soil.Earthwormsare famous for improving soil. This is because the holes they make let air into the soil. The holes also let water go through.

The soil also has manymicroorganismsliving in it. Many of them eat the organic material in the soil. They useoxygenand releasecarbon dioxide. They also releasemineralnutrients into the soil.[3]

Soil is different in different places on Earth. This is because theclimateand rocks in the Earth are different in different places on Earth. Soils are usually thicker in places whereice sheetscovered the ground during thePleistoceneice ages. This is because the ice sheets ground the rock into powder as they slowly moved over the surface

soil is loose material that lies on top

Soilis loose material that lies on top of the land. It is a mixture of many different things including rock, minerals, water and air.Soilalso has living things and dead things in it. We call the living and dead things "organic matter".