Ask Dr. Universe: Where does dirt come from?
PULLMAN, Wash. – In just a word, the story of soil goes something like this: “CLORPT!” It’s fun to say, and it helps explain how tough rock turns into the soft soil farmers need to grow food and feed the world.
Jim Harsh is a scientist at Washington State University and an expert on soil. He said a soil scientist, Hans Jenny, came up with five actors in the soil story: CLimate, Organisms, Relief, Parent material, and Time.
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