An Introduction to Environmental Chemistry

The Chemistry of Continental Solids 95

ClimateTemperaturePrecipitationWind Atmosphericgases

Influences

Vegetation*

Biomassdevelopment

Organicmatter EnergyWater CO

, O 2

2

Reactwith

Parentmaterial(rock)

Mineralsandsediment

Weathering

Soil

processing

Energy Water Nutrients

Radiatedheat Drains togroundwaterNew biomas(evapotranspiration)Leached togroundwater

Processes

Inputs

Outputs

Fig. 4.13

Flow diagram summarizing soil-forming processes, inputs and outputs. * Note that vegetation is influenced by parent material as w

ell as climate.