What are the similarities and differences between sand, silt and clay soils?
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What are the similarities and differences between sand, silt and clay soils?
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What are the similarities and differences between sand, silt and clay soils?
avery
Sand is a very basic soil, made of particles of rock and hard minerals, such as silicon dioxide. The largest of the different types of soil particles, one grain of sand is visible to the naked eye. According to a comparison made by Penn State Extension, if a particle of clay were a BB, a grain of sand would be the size of a chair. Although sand supports very few plant life forms in comparison with other soil types, sand is a valuable component of an optimal soil mixture. The large, relatively stable sand-particle size increases soil aeration, improves drainage in tight soils and creates plant-growth supporting qualities, or tilth.
John Wick
Silt
Silt is a sediment material with an intermediate size between sand and clay. Carried by water during the flood it forms a fertile deposit on valleys floor. Silt is easily compacted.
Clay
Clay, sand and silt are definitions of textures. The following picture shows the respective sizes of these 3 different particles;
Andrew Pel
All soils are similar in that they are made up of inorganic particles, usually derived from weathered rock or airfall volcanic material, and include organic matter from decayed plant and maybe animal material. The inclusion of the organic matter differentiates the soils from the simple deposits of raw materials, e.g. sand, silt and clay.