The formation of soil takes place in the following ways:
(i) Rocks near the surface of Earth are broken down by various physical, chemical and some biological processes. This process takes millions of years.
(ii) This weathering leads to the formation of fine particles called soil.
(iii) Some other factors also lead to the formation of soil. These are:
(a) Sun causes heating of rocks that causes cracking and breaks down them into small particles.
(b) Water dissolve rocks by freezing and fast flowing.
(c) Wind causes erosion of rocks by fast blowing.
(d) Liches and mosses grow on rock surfaces and break them into powder down and form a thin layer of soil. The big trees sometimes enter into cracks in the rocks and force them to break further during their growth.
