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Where on Earth is no soil found?

A ‘deep question’ discussion about soil-formation

There is no soil on the Moon because, although

the normal soil-forming processes of weathering
and erosion happen there, there is no life – and
organic material is one of the key components of
soil.
So, to help your class to understand what soil is
and how it forms, ask them the deep question of
‘Where on Earth is no soil found?’ It may be
helpful to put a small bag or pot of soil in front of
them to prompt their discussion.
To respond to this question, they need to know
that soil is a mixture of:
• rock and mineral fragments produced by
weathering and erosion; Rocky desert with limited soil and vegetation, Lara, Venezuela.
• decomposing organic matter (humus) including Image licensed by Jacobo Suárez Domínguez under
leaf litter (fallen leaves); the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Unported license.
• living organisms (plants, animals, fungi and
microbes);
• water and air.
By understanding this, they will realise the soil
cannot usually be found:
• in deep water (where there is no air) [However,
soil can be found underwater at the shallow
ocean margins during high tides, in coastal
swamps (such as mangrove swamps), and
during freshwater floods on land];
• in sandy and rocky coastal areas (where
sediment is constantly moving due to waves
and tidal currents);
• in regions permanently covered by ice and
The ice cap covering Saunders Island, Greenland, where there
snow, such as polar regions and high is no soil.
mountain tops (where there is no life); This image is in the public domain because it was solely
• within shifting sand dunes (where sediment is created by NASA.
moving and any organic matter decomposes
completely);
• in rocky deserts (which are too dry);
• on smooth flat surfaces that are sloping or
vertical, such as walls or roofs (where there
are no hollows to contain mineral or organic
material);
• indoors, unless it is brought in in plant pots,
etc. (rock and mineral fragments do not usually
accumulate indoors).
One of the purposes of this exercise is to show
Sea wall and beach with no soil, Acre, Israel.
that it is more amazing where on Earth soil is Image licenced by ‫ דוד שי‬under the Creative
found than where it is not found. It is very unusual Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
for a natural surface above water to have no soil
or vegetation cover.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The back up
Title: Where on Earth is no soil found? Age range of pupils: 8 years upwards

Subtitle: A ‘deep question’ discussion about soil- Time needed to complete activity: 10 minutes
formation. Pupil learning outcomes: Pupils can:
Topic: A class discussion to consolidate learning • describe the conditions necessary for soils to
about soil-forming processes. form;
• explain where on Earth such conditions are
found.
1
Earthlearningidea – https://www.earthlearningidea.com

Context: Underlying principles:

It is helpful for pupils to know how soil normally • The ‘ingredients’ for soil-formation include:
develops on bare rocky surfaces, such as rock rock and mineral fragments; decaying organic
exposures and walls. material (humus), living organisms (plants and
• First lichens grow on the bare rock, their animals), water and air.
rootlets grow into the gaps between minerals • All these ingredients can be found together in
and weaken them; whilst wetting and drying of most places on Earth’s land surface – which is
the lichen, causing expansion and contraction, why soil and vegetation can be found almost
speeds up this process. everywhere.
• Moss begins to grow in hollows produced by
lichen activity, accumulating more mineral Thinking skill development:
fragments. Pupils have to construct a pattern of the
• Seeds of plants, particularly of pioneer, or first- requirements for soil formation before applying
colonising plants, grow in the moss. that pattern to ‘real world’ circumstances through
• The humus produced by these plants aids soil bridging. Their discussions are likely to involve
development, as the soil becomes colonised cognitive conflict and metacognition.
by more varieties of plants and animals.
Resource list:
A huge variety of soils is possible, depending on • (optional) a small bag or pot of soil
different mixtures of soil ‘ingredients’.
Useful links:
Following up the activity: A useful animation about soil-formation can be
Ask the class whether they would expect soil to be fund at: https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz
found: /resources/955-soil-formation
• on the school buildings (yes, in gutters and Try downloading the free ‘My soil’ app to your
hollows); phone in the UK to find out more about your local
• on areas covered by tarmac (asphalt) (yes, in soils.
sheltered, little-used tarmacked areas); See the list of other Earthlearningideas for
• on roads (yes, along the centres of little-used teaching about soils at: https://www.earthlearning
roads, between car wheel tracks); idea.com/home/Teaching_strategies.html#soils,
• on mountain tops not covered by snow and ice including how Charles Darwin ‘discovered’ how
(yes, in hollows between rock exposures); soil forms.
• in old mine and quarry areas (yes, unless the
surface sediment has been poisoned by the
minerals mined there);
• in old industrial areas (yes, unless the
sediment has been polluted by oils or
chemicals).

The field in Shropshire, England, where Charles Darwin

‘discovered’ how soil forms (see the ‘Darwin’s ‘big soil idea’’
View near Queenstown, Tasmania, Australia, where much of Earthlearningidea) (Chris King).
the soil in the distance has been polluted by old mining and
smelting (industrial) activity. Source: Chris King of the Earthlearningidea
Image licensed by Jimmy Harris under the Creative Team. Many thanks to Susie Lydon for comments
Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
on an earlier version of this activity.

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