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Geology & Earth Sciences vocabulary · Soil

Clay

Meaning in geology & earth sciences, with examples

/kleɪ/nounCore term

In geology & earth sciences, clay means: Very fine mineral particles, smaller than about 0.002 mm in soil science, and the soft, sticky material they form when wet. Clay holds water and nutrients well.

In Turkish: kil

How it is used

Has two meanings: a particle size and a group of minerals (clay minerals such as kaolinite and smectite). Used in soil science, sedimentology and engineering, where clays can swell, shrink or become unstable. The adjective is clayey.

Example sentences

  1. The clay layer stops water from draining, so the field floods easily.

  2. This soil contains about 40 percent clay.

Common collocations

  • clay soil
  • clay minerals
  • clay content
  • clay layer
  • sand, silt and clay
  • soil textureThe proportions of sand, silt and clay particles in a soil, which control how well it holds water, how it drains and how easily it can be worked.
  • soilThe loose top layer of the land surface, made of weathered rock particles, organic matter, water and air, in which plants grow.
  • permeableAllowing water or other fluids to pass through easily. Sand, gravel and cracked limestone are permeable, while clay and shale let very little water through.
  • sedimentLoose particles such as sand, mud, gravel, shells or plant matter that are carried by water, wind or ice and settle in a new place.

More terms: Soil

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