The relative amounts of the three minerals that make up soil-sand, silt, and clay-determine the texture of the soil. Porosity, permeability, infiltration, shrink-swell rate, water-holding capacity, and susceptibility to erosion are characteristics that are impacted by soil texture. In the shown USDA textural categorization triangle, the only soil in which neither sand, silt nor clay predominates is considered loam. Beyond agronomy, archaeology, physical and landscape geography, resource sustainability, and even climatology in terms of prospective and long-term carbon sequestration have all incorporated soil science as an essential component of their respective fields of study.

In order to maximize food production, soil science is crucial, including knowledge of environmental processes such soil carbon sequestration and soil health. Modern soil science and agricultural techniques for boosting soil profitability and production necessitate detailed knowledge of the chemical make-up of sizable quantities of soil, compost, and fertilizers (tens, hundreds, or thousands of cubic meters). Clay, on the other hand, is often produced by the precipitation of the dissolved parent rock as a secondary mineral, with the exception of when it is produced by the weathering of mica, which is how sand and silt are produced.