Pfftt I knew someone who actually went to the states to pick up dirt and make a map like that.
slacker.

I assume most of the soils from New England consisted primarily of fist-sized rocks.

Missouri doesn't have dirt. It has clay. And it sucks to dig in.

When a child's fair project comes out to good.

Claim it. Nice work. Did not know states have official soils.

Marine1: Missouri doesn't have dirt. It has clay. And it sucks to dig in.

Mizzou doesn't have dirt. It's full of shiat. And it sucks.

Ftfy

That's actually quite cool!

I don't get his Colorado quote; it looks brown like the others, while OK is the reddest by far.

Cubicle Jockey: I assume most of the soils from New England consisted primarily of fist-sized rocks.

This. New Hampshire in particular is equal parts granite, sand with trees on it, and marsh. What little else there is has already been built upon.

"Michigan sent two soils, so Gregor blended them together."


I know people who make US state maps like to have color continuity between the UP and LP, but seriously, you have two bit land masses to use for your two soils. Seems Kinda obvious.

Illinois looks not nearly black enough. It should be darker than South Dakota for sure.

I used to collect rocks from every state I could, in the shape of that state. It started when I found a rock in the Platte River that looked like Nebraska. I had twenty or so (8 of them were uncanny and the perfect size) and intended to someday finish it. Then I had children, and found Idaho in the pinestraw island and that was the end of that.

I think Florida is just made out of meth powder and sand.

Torion!: Did not know states have official soils.

Hey, Oklahoma has a state rock. Chris Rock's mom.

Precision Boobery: I don't get his Colorado quote; it looks brown like the others, while OK is the reddest by far.

Which, by the way, totally nails OK dirt. Yes, our dirt is that red. That's why, if you search for "red dirt" at google, the first hit is Oklahoma-related.

It varies considerably, though, as you might expect. In the very far NW corner of the state, the surface is actually covered by lava that flowed there some 10,000 years ago. This highest point in OK is on the top of ancient lava. At the other extreme, the SW corner and the lowest part are rivers with sediment brownish. Oklahoma is the only place in the world where water runs from the plains and into the mountains.

Amazing how all the different soils know not to proceed past state lines.

Soils can vary widely from county to county, or even within a county.

I like this a lot, but it's not 'right'. It's a map of soil types found around the states' Depts. of Agriculture.

So good, you'll soil yourself!

I like to read about geology and stuff, and I can follow most of it pretty well, but I had absolutely no idea of the dizzying variety of soils that exist worldwide, and how mind-numbingly boring I found it was to read about them.

Meh, you can't say Texas can be represented by one soil type. At almost 270,000 square miles we have a few major soil types:

Blackland Soil (east central Texas)
Sandy Loam (Piney Woods)
Sand (Post Oak Savannah)
Yellow Clay (The Edward's Plateau)
Alluvial Soil (Western Gulf Coastal)

I'll bet a few other states can't be represented by one type either.

AiryAnne: Meh, you can't say Texas can be represented by one soil type. At almost 270,000 square miles we have a few major soil types:

Blackland Soil (east central Texas)
Sandy Loam (Piney Woods)
Sand (Post Oak Savannah)
Yellow Clay (The Edward's Plateau)
Alluvial Soil (Western Gulf Coastal)

I'll bet a few other states can't be represented by one type either.

You forgot iron-red dirt from northeast Texas.

Someone should warn them that the soil they dug up from Jersey has a very high chance of being from a superfund site.

I'm not liking that they have the same soil represent an entire state. Would be cooler to see them use soil from maybe every 100 sq miles to make a more accurate representation. I'd like to know how the person determined which soil type to use for the whole state, did they go to the state capital and dig in the first yard they came to?

Spindle: I'd like to know how the person determined which soil type to use for the whole state, did they go to the state capital and dig in the first yard they came to?

Know how I know you didn't RTFA? The article explains this process. Also, apparently most states have an "official soil" (who knew?) and in these cases that particular soil was used, which makes sense -- if you're only using one, use the "official" one.

The haters are cracking me up.

/they see me soilin'

The Downfall: As a life-long Illinois resident, I must ask why the soil isn't black? Because typical Illinois soil is pretty damn black.

THis.

I live in the heart of Illinois' farmlands. I can't sink a spade without striking black dirt.

TFA: Michigan sent two soils, so Gregor blended them together.

That was stupid. Why not use one for the UP and one for the mitten?

First, gotta say this looks cool.

Second, I totally agree with the people saying he needed better gradation of soils. I grew up in northern CA (2 hours north of Sacramento) and the dirt there is red. It's so red I know a pro modeller who got disqualified for making a diorama of the local railroad depot for unrealistic soil. Then he sent them a vial of local dirt and they removed the disqualification. On the other hand, I went to school near Santa Barbara, and the dirt down there is more of a yellow brown, reasonably close to the sample used for this map.

Well that's real nice. But the soil in Eastern NE looks nothing like the stuff in the west. Always amazes me how the rich loam in the Missouri Valley differs from the rocky crap they try to till in the Panhandle.

/aware that this would apply to all states