How the relief affects the soil: its types and features of the impact

In order to understand the causes of soil diversity, it is recommended to understand how the topography of the planet affects the soil. The earth's surface is not uniform. Relief forms of different sizes and heights influence bioclimatic processes. Soil formation depends on climate, weather, temperature, degree of moisture, that is, on all factors directly or indirectly related to the Earth's topography.

The relief is divided into types by scale

The surface of the Earth consists of various formations. The relief of our planet is studied by such a science as geomorphology. Due to the heterogeneity of terrestrial forms, there are four relief types.

Macrorelief

First, it is worth mentioning that before the macro- there is a mega-relief, presented in the form of continental massifs and ocean depressions. The emergence of such forms was influenced by tectonic phenomena in the earth's crust. Macrorelief is large terrestrial formations occupying a vast territory. They are characterized by large fluctuations in altitude and are measured in hundreds of meters and kilometers. Examples of macrorelief - plains, lowlands, plateaus, plateaus, mountains.

Mesorelief

These are medium-sized terrestrial formations. Their occurrence was influenced by exogenous geological processes and slow uplift and subsidence of individual land areas. The mesorelief includes hills, hollows, slopes, terraces, beams, river floodplains. Height fluctuations of such formations are measured in meters and tens of meters.

Microrelief

These are earthly formations of small size. Their occurrence was influenced by subsidence phenomena, deformations as a result of soil freezing and other reasons. The microrelief occupies a small area. The height of individual forms varies within one meter. The microrelief includes tubercles, depressions, depressions, saucers.

Nanorelief

These are the smallest terrestrial formations. Altitude fluctuations of relief forms - within 30 cm. Nanorelief includes bumps, grooves, solonchaks, ridges, as well as irregularities resulting from mechanical processing of agricultural land.

How terrain affects soil

The earth's surface is under the influence of endogenous and exogenous processes.Due to the movement of tectonic plates, the influence of water, wind, gravity, the relief of the planet is formed. On the surface of the Earth, formations of various shapes, heights and sizes arise. The formed relief has an indirect effect on soil formation.

Redistribution of thermal energy

The relief is located between the atmosphere and the lithosphere. The redistribution of solar radiation and thermal energy depends on the forms prevailing on the earth's surface. The relief affects the climate of vast territories and the microclimate of soils. For example, the mountains of Tibet and the Hindu Kush do not allow the Arctic masses to get to the Hindustan Peninsula, and also delay warm currents coming from the Indian Ocean. The temperature difference affects the vegetation and important processes occurring in the soil. Accordingly, the soil cover on both sides of these mountains is different in composition and properties.

Mega- and macroforms of the Earth take part in the formation of air masses, affect the climate and the redistribution of thermal energy. Weather and temperature conditions depend on them, which, in turn, have a direct impact on soil formation.

Meso- and microforms redistribute heat within small terrestrial formations. The microclimate and temperature in a particular area depend on these relief forms. An example of the influence of the relief: it is always warmer on the south side of the hill than on the northern slope.

Uneven temperature conditions lead to the fact that within a small area in one area the soil is arid, and on the other, on the contrary, moist. The more dissected the relief, the stronger the differences on different sides of the slopes. Even on slightly undulating terrain, snow melts faster on the south side.

Moisture redistribution

Initially, mega- and macroforms influence the direction of water flow. Climate, weather and humidity indicators depend on the location of large formations on the Earth's surface.Macrorelief and climatic features affect soil formation. For example, in the flat areas included in the zone of high humidity, the soils are swampy. On the slopes of mountains with exactly the same climate, the soil is not waterlogged due to water runoff.

Large and medium relief forms affect the formation of reservoirs, the depth of groundwater, soil moisture. The variety of soil combinations depends on the microrelief.

Meso- and micro-relief affects the redistribution of moisture within the average height relief forms. At this level, different types of soils are formed, swamping, peat formation, gleying occur, and secondary rocks accumulate. For example, in microdepressions in a territory with a predominantly humid climate, the podzolic process proceeds intensively, as a result of which podzolic soils are formed. In arid regions, the influx of moisture into microdepressions contributes to salinization and the formation of soil diversity (solonetzes above, chestnut soils along the slopes, and non-saline meadow-chestnut soil below).

The depth of groundwater depends on the relief. Their level of occurrence affects the regime of soil moisture. The growth of vegetation, the movement of organic and mineral substances depend on the moistening of the surface. The level of groundwater occurrence affects the acidity of the soil, podzolic processes.

All these factors together form a certain type of soil in a particular area. For example, on a plain with a deep location of groundwater and a temperate climate, the land does not become swampy, the water evaporates in time, and conditions are created for the formation of fertile soil.

Degree of soil erosion

The relief affects the launch of erosion processes, although the destruction of the soil occurs under the influence of water and wind. Most often, erosion occurs on the slopes of mountains and hills.For example, water, flowing down the slope, washes away nutrients, destroys the soil. Erosion processes can also be observed on the plains. In dry areas, wind erosion causes soil erosion in open or elevated areas.

Vegetation type

Climate, weather conditions, distribution of moisture and energy depend on mega- and macrorelief. Meso- and micro-reliefs affect the level of moisture and the redistribution of heat at the micro level. All these processes together affect the growth of certain types of vegetation.

Each part of the Earth has its own flora. The type of soil depends on the prevailing vegetation, because litter, decomposition products of plant residues are involved in soil formation.

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