GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Soil is formed through the mechanisms of weathering and erosion. The natural processes of weathering and erosion that take place in nature, aid in soil formation. Soil is created from rock when weathering breaks up the bedrock deep in the ground.

Detailed explanation-2: -Biological weathering occurs when plants break up rocks with roots or root exudates. The process is slow, but may strongly influence landscape formation.

Detailed explanation-3: -Trees put down roots through joints or cracks in the rock in order to find moisture. As the tree grows, the roots gradually prize the rock apart. Many animals, such as these Piddock shells, bore into rocks for protection either by scraping away the grains or secreting acid to dissolve the rock.

Detailed explanation-4: -The presence of living organisms greatly affects soil formation and structure. Animals and microorganisms can produce pores and crevices. Plant roots can penetrate into crevices to produce more fragmentation. Plant secretions promote the development of microorganisms around the root in an area known as the rhizosphere.

Detailed explanation-5: -Respiration of carbon dioxide by plant roots can lead to the formation of carbonic acid which can chemically attack rocks and sediments and help to turn them into soils. There are a whole range of weathering processes at work near the surface of the soil, acting together to break down rocks and minerals to form soil.