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
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