parent material

noun

: the disintegrated rock material usually unconsolidated and unchanged or only slightly changed that underlies and generally gives rise to the true soil by the natural process of soil development

called also source material

compare horizon sense 2, solum

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“Parent material.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parent%20material. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.

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