Erosion as Old as Dirt

We walk, play, travel, and build on it. Everything that is dead, useless, or thrown out falls on it. You probably call it "dirt", but your life and that of all God's creatures depends on this thin layer of soil, the layer that covers most on the land surface of the earth. There are 70,000 kinds of soil in the United States. Since we depend on soil for food production from crops, erosion is a huge conservation problem. This paper will explore the different types of soil and what can be done about its erosion.

More than 70 thousand soils have been identified in America. (Boy Scouts of America) Soil forms when rocks are broken up. The climate determines how they are broken up and what plants grow in it. There are three dimensions of soil; surface soil, sub soil, and rock material. (Boy Scouts of America) These three dimensions are bound together by the surface material. The three different soil particle sizes are sand, silt, and clay. Sand is usually very gritty, silt feels smooth like flour, and clay is the smallest, with particles ranging from .002 millimeters in diameter. (Boy Scouts of America) Soil surveys have been used on about 60 percent of the U.S. to find what types of soil are in different parts of the country. (Boy Scouts)

Geologic Erosion has gone on since the first wind stirred, and the first rain fell. (Boy Scouts of America) Erosion is any displacement of solids by the means of water wind and other causes. (Erosion) Virtually nobody benefits from erosion. Erosion increases the chance of flooding, and the need for dredging of water ways. (Conserving Soils) The removal of trees to build houses, businesses and roads increases the chances of erosion by loosening up the soil and exposing it to the wind and rain. Erosion washes and blows away fertile topsoil and leaves poor quality subsoil behind. (Seeing Soil Erosion)

Water erosion is one of the most common types of erosion. Splash, sheet, rill, and gully are the four main types of water erosion. (Erosion) Splash erosion occurs when rain tosses soil around to gradually move the soil downhill. When the beating of rain drops is combined with flowing water to wash away surface soil it is called sheet erosion. Sheet erosion usually occurs on a sloping land with not much vegetation. Rill erosion occurs when water flows down a hill or slope in independent little streams and forms irregular channels. Rill erosion can be erased by farmers cultivating their land but the soil is still washed away. When the channels fill with water and the force is increased, larger channels form and it is called gully erosion. Rill erosion must go on for a long time before gully erosion can take place. (Boy Scouts of America)

Wind Erosion is another common type of erosion. Wind erosion is the movement of material by the wind. It often occurs in places with little vegetation. (Erosion) Texas has the largest amount of space open to wind erosion since Texas is open to high prevailing winds in areas