Paedogenesis
Soil formation is the result of long processes (paedogenesis) that are generally based on the alteration (that is change) of inorganic (minerals and rocks) and organic compounds (plants and dead animals or substances produced by them, like leaves and faeces) that are present in the area, their deposit and the subsequent formation of new minerals and organic molecules. The final composition and structure of a soil depend on the following factors:
- the parent rock (or lithologic matrix), i.e. the original material (rocks, clays, limestones, etc) of the soil;
- the climate, which is considered as the main responsible for the formation and definition of soil characteristics and properties;
- water and temperature, which influence the majority of physical, chemical and biochemical processes that are important for the development of mature;
- soil sun exposure;
- the activity of biotic entities (vegetation, micro and macro fauna e flora);
- the height, defined by land altitude and inclination;
- the length of time, as the different products of change and the definition of soil characteristics occur in different length of time;
- human activity.
Special reports
-
13 May 2018
Small steps, great footprints
Have you ever wondered how much space is taken up by an apple or a steak?...
18 February 2022
Medicine, climate or space exploration? The main scientific challenges in 2022
According to the international journal Nature, the year that has just begun will bring with it major scientific and technological…
21 January 2022
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai
On 15 January, at about 5 pm (Italian time), the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano erupted, spewing a huge amount of…
-
2 May 2021
Citizen science, research conducted by ordinary citizens
When we think of scientists, we often imagine people wearing white coats, shut up in a laboratory working with test…
9 February 2021
At the origin of rocks: the secrets of paleomagnetism
The magnetic minerals of the rocks contains a veritable repository of information about its birth, history and evolution...
28 August 2020
The Earth seen from above: signs of fires
This image was taken by the ASTER sensor installed on the NASA TERRA satellite platform. The image was taken on…
-
15 July 2020
Earth viewed from above
Remote satellite sensing: what it is and what it is used for In the scientific field, the images produced by…
12 April 2019
Easter with extinct friends
Easter Island is shaped like a triangle with three extinct volcanoes placed at the vertices, and has a total area…
5 July 2018
Science: Anaximander’s revolution
Anaximander the Milesian is reported to have been the first to open the doors of nature...
-
13 May 2018
Small steps, great footprints
Have you ever wondered how much space is taken up by an apple or a steak?...
18 February 2022
Medicine, climate or space exploration? The main scientific challenges in 2022
According to the international journal Nature, the year that has just begun will bring with it major scientific and technological…
-
21 January 2022
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai
On 15 January, at about 5 pm (Italian time), the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano erupted, spewing a huge amount of…
2 May 2021
Citizen science, research conducted by ordinary citizens
When we think of scientists, we often imagine people wearing white coats, shut up in a laboratory working with test…
-
9 February 2021
At the origin of rocks: the secrets of paleomagnetism
The magnetic minerals of the rocks contains a veritable repository of information about its birth, history and evolution...
28 August 2020
The Earth seen from above: signs of fires
This image was taken by the ASTER sensor installed on the NASA TERRA satellite platform. The image was taken on…
-
13 May 2018
Small steps, great footprints
Have you ever wondered how much space is taken up by an apple or a steak?...
-
18 February 2022
Medicine, climate or space exploration? The main scientific challenges in 2022
According to the international journal Nature, the year that has just begun will bring with it major scientific and technological…
-
21 January 2022
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai
On 15 January, at about 5 pm (Italian time), the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano erupted, spewing a huge amount of…
From the Multimedia section
Facts
-
Laterite and bauxite deposits
These deposits can be observed in those tropical areas that are characterized by...
And in underground tunnels?
There are groups of terrestrial animals that eat insects, worms and other invertebrates...
What about the permafrost?
In Sub Arctic Swedish regions, some scientists studied the changes of permafrost...
-
The most populated cities in the world
In the last 50 years the world population has passed from 2.5 billion to 6 billion...
-
Mountains on the Earth
The different landscapes that we analysed in the previous section are distributed...
-
24 February 2011
Laterite and bauxite deposits
These deposits can be observed in those tropical areas that are characterized by...
And in underground tunnels?
There are groups of terrestrial animals that eat insects, worms and other invertebrates...
-
What about the permafrost?
In Sub Arctic Swedish regions, some scientists studied the changes of permafrost...
-
The most populated cities in the world
In the last 50 years the world population has passed from 2.5 billion to 6 billion...
-
24 February 2011
Laterite and bauxite deposits
These deposits can be observed in those tropical areas that are characterized by...
-
And in underground tunnels?
There are groups of terrestrial animals that eat insects, worms and other invertebrates...
-
What about the permafrost?
In Sub Arctic Swedish regions, some scientists studied the changes of permafrost...