Soil Science Infographic

In September 2019, I took a Soil Science course at Quest University and made this infographic to explain the chemical makeup of clay crystals (or “micelles“). Clay is a crucial component of fertile soils, as it holds water and nutrients not only due to its large surface area, but also through a magnetic charge. This negative charge on the clay surface enables what is called the “cation exchange”, through which cationic nutrient particles are loosely bound to the clay surface until they are replaced by another cation from the soil solution. This prevents nutrients (as well as water) from simply leaching out of the soil.