What is soil made of?

Minerals, organic matter, water, air and living things

A balanced mix of sand, silt and clay

Why are earthworms good for soil?

They aerate it and mix organic matter

What caused the 1930s Dust Bowl in the US?

Drought and poor farming that eroded soil

Soil Science Challenge – A 10-Question Trivia Quiz

This soil science challenge covers what soil is made of, soil horizons, sand, silt and clay, humus, earthworms and microbes, soil erosion, the Dust Bowl and keeping soil healthy. A 10-question trivia quiz with answers about the ground that feeds us.

Start Soil Science Challenge

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Made of
What is soil made of?
Humus
What is humus?
Layers
What are the layers of soil called?
Particles
Which soil particles are the smallest?
Loam
What is loam?
Worms
Why are earthworms good for soil?
Time
How long can it take to form 2.5 cm of topsoil?
Dust Bowl
What caused the 1930s Dust Bowl in the US?
Life
A handful of healthy soil can contain how many microorganisms?
Protect
Which practice helps protect soil from erosion?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: What is soil made of?
Answer: Minerals, organic matter, water, air and living things
It is a living system.
Q2: What is humus?
Answer: Dark decomposed organic matter
It makes soil fertile.
Q3: What are the layers of soil called?
Answer: Horizons
Topsoil is the A horizon.
Q4: Which soil particles are the smallest?
Answer: Clay
Clay holds water tightly.
Q5: What is loam?
Answer: A balanced mix of sand, silt and clay
Gardeners love it.
Q6: Why are earthworms good for soil?
Answer: They aerate it and mix organic matter
Darwin wrote a book about them.
Q7: How long can it take to form 2.5 cm of topsoil?
Answer: Hundreds to a thousand years
Soil forms very slowly.
Q8: What caused the 1930s Dust Bowl in the US?
Answer: Drought and poor farming that eroded soil
Huge dust storms swept the plains.
Q9: A handful of healthy soil can contain how many microorganisms?
Answer: Billions
They recycle nutrients.
Q10: Which practice helps protect soil from erosion?
Answer: Cover crops
Roots hold soil in place.

Soil Science Challenge – The Living Ground

Soil is a mixture of minerals, organic matter, water, air and countless organisms. It forms slowly as rocks break down and plants and animals decay, often taking centuries to build a few centimeters.

Soil has layers called horizons, from rich topsoil to subsoil and bedrock. Its texture depends on sand, silt and clay, which affect drainage and fertility. Earthworms, fungi and bacteria keep soil healthy by recycling nutrients.

Soil supports almost all our food, filters water and stores carbon. Erosion, pollution and poor farming can damage it, as the Dust Bowl showed, while cover crops, crop rotation and less tilling help protect it.

What This Quiz Teaches

This challenge is for students learning soil science.

What soil is made of
What humus is
What soil horizons are
Why earthworms matter
How to protect soil

Did You Know?

Soil stores more carbon than plants and air combined.
December 5 is World Soil Day.
Terra preta is rich Amazon soil.
Permafrost is frozen soil.
Peat soils form in wetlands.