Sometimes soil is carried away from the area in which it is formed. It can be moved by running water, glaciers, wind and waves. Soil that is moved from the placed it was formed is called transported soil. The transported soil will be different in texture from the soil that was originally in that area. If the soil is not transported and stays on top of the bedrock of which it was formed, then it is called residual soil.
Residual soils have a chemical makeup like that of their parent material.
Knowing which minerals make up a rock can help you identify and classify it. Minerals are often removed from soils by plants and by a process called leaching. Leaching is the washing away of minerals by water. Soil forms in layers called horizons. There are three horizons, and they are named by capital letters.