Engineers Refer to Any Loose Material on the Surface of the Earth

question 87

Multiple Choice

Engineers refer to any loose material on the surface of the Earth as soil. How does this differ from the definition Earth scientists prefer?

• A) Earth scientists only use the word soil to refer to the inorganic part of weathered, surface materials.
• B) There is no difference, the definition is the same.
• C) Earth scientists use the term soil only for the organic part of the surface materials.
• D) An engineer's "soil" is equivalent to what Earth scientists call regolith; but for Earth scientists soil has a more specific meaning.