Trusted since 2008
LoginRegister
Study resources on Kenyaplex

Get ready-made curriculum aligned revision materials

Exam papers, notes, holiday assignments and topical questions – all aligned to the Kenyan curriculum.

Browse exam papers
Or go directly to:
Class notes Holiday assignments Topical questions Other resources

The main factors influencing soil formation are the nature of the parent rock and climate. Briefly describe how these factors influence soil formation.

The main factors influencing soil formation are the nature of the parent rock and climate. Briefly describe how these factors influence soil formation.

Answers

Faith
Parent rock determines the type of soil formed. Parent materials are important because they determine the type of weathering. This depends on the mineral composition of the parent material. It also determines the degree to which water and air can circulate in the soil layer. The importance of the mineral composition of the parent rock lies in the fact that the chemical character of the soil determines its fertility levels.

The main elements of climate involved in soil formation are rainfall, temperature and wind.
Places with high rainfall are heavily weathered and leached as compared to drier areas. Such places have deep soils. Rainfall leads to the formation of alluvial soils through deposition of weathered material. Floods and rivers carry eroded materials and deposit them to form alluvial soils.
High temperatures promote rapid weathering and other processes in the soil. Low temperatures on the other hand, slow these actions. Temperatures affect the organic composition of soil. Most organisms flourish under different temperatures. Variations of the world temperatures therefore determine the type of organisms in a particular area.
Wind acts as an agent of erosion in arid areas where it forms sandy deposited soils known as dunes while the fine particles are carried far away and deposited in the mid latitude areas.
Faimus answered the question on March 16, 2018 at 19:53

Answer Attachments

Next: (a) Describe the following leaching processes leading to the formation of various soil types. Ferralisation, Eluviation, Illuviation, Podzolisation, Calcification, Ribification, Salinisation (b) Differentiate between eluviation and illuviation.

Previous: Critically examine the view that the first Chimurenga war of 1896 and 1897 was a necessity to the people of Zimbabwe

View more Geography Questions and Answers  |  Return to Questions Index

Exams With Marking Schemes

Related Questions