Glaciers

Glaciers

First off, most of Ireland's geography and soil were greatly impacted by glaciers. These giant forms of ice changed the landscape drastically. Besides the high impact of the glaciers themselves, the water from the melting ice also impacted the landscape and soil.
The soil itself was pushed, plunged, and shredded all throughout the land. Soil was mixed, boulders were buried, and mountains were leveled. The change was so drastic that rocks from places farther away were even deposited into Ireland's earth.
When the glaciers receded, the sediments they had gained were also deposited onto the soil, creating a newer, younger soil (as far as soil goes). Water caused by the melting ice also created divots and new rivers. (Hogan, 2003)

Here is a video about the glaciers in Ireland.

(Video from: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/lessons/youre-as-cold-as-ice/video-segments-ireland/1613/)

Introduction

I am currently taking a class at Penn State that has an embedded trip to the country of Ireland. As part of the class, I will be keeping up on a blog about a topic of my choice. My choice is to blog about the soils of Ireland!

As a Horticultural Science major, I have taken many courses on plants and plant-related topics. My favorite courses however, have been more about the plant-related topics, especially plant pathology and soil science.

Why the soils of Ireland? I find soil to be fasinating; with every different place, the soil has been exposed to different conditions. This blog will cover many aspects to Ireland's soils, from basic information to more agricultural topics.

Below is a basic soil map of Ireland, each color is a different type of soil. There are quite a few types, each with their own characteristics and qualities. As the weeks go on, I hope to talk about each one of them!
(http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/environment-geography/environmental-information/biodiversity/definitions/soils-in-ireland/, accessed 2/9/12)