My geology professor back in 1989, stated the minerals with in our earths soil...?

Question

...gradually gets washed away into the sea by rain. He stated that through time it was possible for the soils to become "sterile" of minerals as the sea does not return the minerals it harbors.

Honestly, I'm NOT trying to get another environmental "cause" up & running like the global warming scheme! I'm simply asking if any one on this board has heard of this before, & if it could really happen through time.

Answer 1

Not true. As the soil profile erodes and sediments are washed to streams, rivers and eventually the sea, the underlying bedrock continues to weather from interactions with shallow groundwater, seasonal freeze thaw effects, plant root invasion and decay of organic plant matter on the surface. It is a delicate balance, and areas with deep soils are eroded slower than the soil development process, resulting in increasing soil depth and a deep soil profile. Areas where erosion is faster than weathering of the bedrock, have thin soils and the extreme example of this is exposed rock outcrops where soils cannot form due to erosion continually washing away any weather rock and organic matter before it can form a soil.



Hope that helps....

Answer 2

He seems to have forgotten to mention the action of volcanoes and the collision of continental plates, which all result in the formation of new land. Most current mountain ranges were under water at one time, as were most land masses.