Soil is the biologically active, structured porous medium that has developed below the continental land surface on our planet. This textbook covers all of the aspects of Soil Science at an introductory level and emphasizes the role of the pedosphere in Earth Systems Science. This preview version presents the complete text of some chapters and abridged text for others. Ordering information for the ... Full description.

Users can access photographs of various forms of erosion, erosion damage, and "before and after" photos showing how the problem was brought under control. Each photograph is accompanied by a description of the activity which is taking place. Full description.

Sand covers only about 20 percent of the Earth's deserts. Nearly 50 percent of desert surfaces are gravel plains where removal of fine-grained material by the wind has exposed loose gravel and occasional cobbles. This web page, produced by the U.S. Geological Survey, features text and photographs that describe desert landforms, soils, plants, and the role of water in the formation of desert landscapes. ... Full description.

GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide, hands-on, primary and secondary school-based science education program. Students can learn to take scientific measurements in the fields of atmospheric science, hydrology, soils, and land cover. They can report their data through the internet, create maps and graphs to analyze the data, and collaborate with scientists ... Full description.

Deserts are classified by their location and dominant weather pattern into several types: trade wind, midlatitude, rain shadow, coastal, monsoon, or polar deserts. Former desert areas presently in nonarid environments are paleodeserts, and extraterrestrial deserts exist on other planets. This site, produced by the U.S. Geological Survey, describes each type of desert using text and photographs. Full description.

This site provides background information on the effects of the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, the 1950s drought, and the 1987-1989 drought in the Great Plains of the American Midwest. It features discussions of the extent of each drought and the economic damage incurred, using text, photographs and graphic illustrations. A link to a discussion of the Palmer Drought Severity Index is included. Full description.

This page of text, from the US Geological Survey's Geology in the Parks website, discusses the difference between weathering and erosion. Full description.

This site is provided by the Mineral Resources Program (MRP) of the U.S. Geologic Survey. It is an online geographic information system which covers Earth and the United States. Layers which can be turned on and off feature information on mineral resources, soils, sediments, geologic features, cultural features, land cover, elevation, gravity data, and magnetic data. Full description.