The Soil E Horizon is characterized as which of the following?

The Soil E Horizon is characterized as which of the following?

• A. Loss of silicate clay, iron, or aluminum
• B. Accumulation of organic matter
• C. Dense clay layer with low permeability
• D. Bedrock

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is eluviation—the leaching process that creates an eluviated zone in the soil profile. In this E horizon, water has washed away certain minerals, specifically silicate clays, iron, and aluminum oxides, so those components are depleted. That removal leaves a lighter, more uniform layer that sits between the organic-rich surface and the horizon where materials accumulate below. This description—loss of silicate clay, iron, and aluminum oxides—is exactly what defines the E horizon, making it the best answer. The other options point to features of different horizons: accumulation of organic matter describes the O horizon, a dense clay layer with low permeability fits a clay-rich B horizon or clay pan, and bedrock refers to the R horizon.

The main idea here is eluviation—the leaching process that creates an eluviated zone in the soil profile. In this E horizon, water has washed away certain minerals, specifically silicate clays, iron, and aluminum oxides, so those components are depleted. That removal leaves a lighter, more uniform layer that sits between the organic-rich surface and the horizon where materials accumulate below.

This description—loss of silicate clay, iron, and aluminum oxides—is exactly what defines the E horizon, making it the best answer. The other options point to features of different horizons: accumulation of organic matter describes the O horizon, a dense clay layer with low permeability fits a clay-rich B horizon or clay pan, and bedrock refers to the R horizon.