soil profile

noun

1. a vertical succession of horizons, commonly lettered A, B, C (beginning at the surface), that have been subjected to soil-forming processes, chiefly leaching and oxidation.
2. a diagram of a vertical section of soil depicting the horizons.

Word History and Origins

Origin of soil profile¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Measuring soil organic carbon, for example, requires digging a core to the root zone, about 30 centimeters deep to obtain a topsoil profile and until the core hits bedrock to obtain an entire soil profile.

From Science Daily

“It would slow down and have to soak into the soil profile. It would be stored then for release later in the season when the river got low.”

From Washington Times

Farmland typically has horizontal soil profiles, but the sloping nature of the land means the soil profile is vertical.

From Washington Times

You tell it your location, and the app gives you the soil profile of the ground you’re standing on.

From Wall Street Journal

When you combine these thin layers of volcanic ash interspersed with soil, you have a soil profile that reads like a book.’’

From US News