Learn something new every day More Info... by email Red soil is
soil that has a reddish tinge as a result of the presence of
iron compounds in the soil composition. This soil can form from
iron-rich sediments or the iron compounds may develop in the
soil as it weathers. There are a number of different kinds of
red soils; simply identifying soil as red does not provide very
much information about it other than a verification that it is
probably high in iron. For more information about a specific red
soil, soil testing is needed to learn about its composition.
This type of soil tends to form in climates that are warm,
temperate, and moist. Sometimes red soil is leftover from older
climate conditions and in regions where iron-rich sedimentary
rock is present, the rock provides clues into the prior climate,
as this rock develops from red soil. Deposits of red soil often
form in bands, explaining the sometimes striped appearance of
sedimentary rocks with red, yellow, and orange materials. Not
all moist, warm, and