Ask the Expert In this section of the soils tutorial questions
are submitted to our experts in the field of Soil Science. Q: Is
Dirt Soil or is Soil Dirt? A: Soil is a naturally occurring body
at the earth's surface due to the combined effects of climate
and biotic activity acting upon a parent material modified by
topography over time. This dynamic body is teeming with
biological, chemical, and physical activity which provides for
this material to serve as a medium for plant growth, a
repository for wastes, and an important component of the
hydrologic cycle and associated water treatment. Dirt is soil
out of place; dirt possesses few of the original soil
attributes. One does not want to recycle our water through dirt.
The moral of the story: don't treat soil like dirt! This
question was answered by Dr Randall J Miles, Associate Professor
in the Department of Soil, Environmental and Atmospheric
Sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Submit a
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