Soil science

Soil science

That science dealing with soils as a natural resource on the surface of the earth including soil formation, classification and mapping; physical, chemical, biological, and fertility properties of soils per se; and these properties in relation to the use and management of soils.

Industry: Earth science

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Soil science

N-value

Earth science; Soil science

The relationship between the percentage of water under field conditions and the percentages of inorganic clay and of humus.

Anion exchange capacity

Earth science; Soil science

The sum of exchangeable anions that a soil can adsorb. Usually expressed as centimoles, or millimoles, of charge per kilogramme of soil (or of other adsorbing material such as clay).

Outwash

Earth science; Soil science

Stratified detritus (chiefly sand and gravel) removed or "washed out" from a glacier by melt-water streams and deposited in front of or beyond the end moraine or the margin of an active glacier. The ...

Acidulation

Earth science; Soil science

The process of treating a fertiliser source with an acid. The most common process is treatment of phosphate rock with an acid (or mixture of acids) such as sulfuric, nitric, or phosphoric acid.

Thermal diffusivity

Earth science; Soil science

The ratio of the thermal conductivity to the volumetric heat capacity.

Episaturation

Earth science; Soil science

The soil is saturated with water in one or more layers within 200 cm of the mineral soil surface and also has one or more unsaturated layers with an upper boundary above 200 cm depth, below the ...

Sulphur cycle

Earth science; Soil science

The sequence of transformations undergone by sulphur wherein it is used by living organisms, transformed upon death and decomposition of the organism, and ultimately converted to its original ...