Question

How do soils differ from sediments?

Answer 1

The main difference between sediment and soil is in the manner in which they are deposited. One must consider the soils parent material, where it comes from. There are mineral soils(inorganic) and there are organic soils (decomposed plant and animal matter). Most soils you will see are a combination. Sediment is derived from mineral parent material (rock, stone).

**Sediment is a step in the process (glaciation, erosion, weathering, moved and ground down by river and stream) by which it becomes suitable in particle size for a particular use.**