Long Islands’ soil started with glaciations. Two moraines were deposited (the hills that go ‘round the world) by a huge continental glacier some 20,000 years ago. Geologists call these hills terminal end moraines. As a glacier retreats, all the rock material it carries is deposited by melt water that flows south of the ice front. When the glacier is stationary, it acts like an escalator bringing rock material (with particle sizes anywhere from clay to huge boulders) to the ice front. It is dumped there and piles up creating mounds called moraines. The moraines act as dams for melt water creating areas where sediments have time to sort themselves out which create distinct layers of sand and clay . The moraines are deposited rather quickly and because of this, rock matter doesn’t have enough time to be sorted out. Sorting is the process whereby particles of similar size and density “condense” in layers.    Outwash plains are the flat, gently sloping areas south of the moraines. There are two major outwash plains on Long Island, the Hempstead and Terryville Outwash Plain. These are delta-like formations that form slowly as melt water carries rock material southward. Glacial drift is term used for the unsorted mixture of rock matter in the moraines. It is unsorted with a large spectrum of particle sizes. This is not so in the outwash plains where particles have a chance to layer and be sorted out by sheets of slowly moving water that eventually formed into streams that have coursed along for centuries creating dentritic drainage patterns all across Long Island.

The Hempstead Plains are located south of the Ronkonkoma Moraine between the Towns of North Hempstead and Hempstead. Over a period of centuries, drying winds from the north blew silt and clay dust clay from the moraine over the Hempstead Outwash Plain. This dust is called loess, a term for wind-blown soil. The surface of the Hempstead Plain has a layer of loess. Loess is composed of very fine rock material. The finer the particles, the more water-holding capacity it has. The barren topsoil of the Hempstead Plains awaited wind blown grass seeds from the surrounding area. Grass seeds blew in and deposited there. This seed landed on deep, fine soil particles and sent roots down deep. Grass roots can be up to twelve feet down to draw moisture. As these roots decompose, they enrich the soil. Thus, the subsoil horizon of the Hempstead Plains is much thicker than in other areas. The dense thatch of the surface grass mat prevents seeds from shrubs and trees from gaining a foothold. Thus, a unique ecosystem formed over centuries to create a huge grassland habitat on a rolling hilly landscape dissected by frequent streams that drained southward into the Great South Bay. Some of the finest soils in the State of New York are splayed over the outwash plains, between the moraines on the north and south fork. A century ago, there were over 10,000 small farms growing crops and living sustainably.

At the beginning of soil formation on Long Island, there was practically no organic matter. Through 10,000 years, an evolving spectrum of plant and animal life that has grown and decayed haveontributed to the organic part of soil. Soil has three other main ingredients: air, water, and rock material. It is a complex mixture of animal and plant matter with a rich complexity of food chains and webs.

The volcanic igneous rock of the New England states is the resource for the parent material that was brought to Long Island. Parent material is any rock material that was brought by the glacier. Because of climatic conditions of rainfall and temperature, our soils evolved a profile that can be studied by looking at a vertical column. Using a post hole digger, or soil boring tool, we can collect samples of soil from topsoil to the parent material below and make conclusions about how it evolved. One important process is called leaching. Finer soil particles work their way downward between larger particles to form layers below the top soil. Leaching also occurs as water dissolves soluble chemicals which are carried downward toward the water table. Decades ago, an oft used tells us how attitudes have changed about the environment. “Dilution is the solution to pollution.” Water was the reservoir that diluted toxic chemicals which are in turn leached into our water table polluting our source of drinking water. Today, we realize that if we dump chemicals on the ground, we are fouling our own nest, polluting  the most important resource on the planet, water.

Soil scientists create maps of soil based on composition, and slope. These maps help us make decisions about how to use our land. It’s too bad that more rational decisions were not made on the immense productivity of the soil of the Hempstead Plains over the last century. Much of the best growing soils in Nassau and Suffolk Counties are covered by development. What a shame that we have to use fossil fuels to transport food from other regions rather than grow it right within our communities.

It has taken 18,000 years to form our soil. Soil is the oldest native material we have just below our feet. It holds dozens of nutrients which are taken up by plants. The four major elements in soil are Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, and Oxygen. These are the elements all live contains. There are other major elements in soil that provide the basis for nutrients in our food. It’s easy to remember what the major elements in soil are.  The following menonitic sentence helps us remember: “See HOPKINS café, the food is mighty good but salty.” See – carbon H – hydrogen O-oxygen P-phosphorus K-potassium I-iodine N-nitrogen S-sulphur  Ca-calcium Fe – iron Mg-magnesium Na- sodium Cl-chlorine. For the minor elements, use the sentence Mob comes marching in. Mo-molybdinum B-boron Mn-manganese Zn-zinc.

Our soil on Long Island is classified as a pedalfer. Ped means foot. Al stands for aluminum Fe for iron. Iron and aluminum are elements in our soil that originated from the igneous rock of the New England states. Because of acid rain, Story Brook geologists have discovered that aluminum is disappearing from our soils. The acid precipitation takes the aluiminum ion and makes it soluble. Aluminum is leaching out of the soil into the water table. This may be causing damage in the Pine Barrens to pitch pine trees who need aluminum in their diet.

Most all of Long Island soil has been studied and mapped by soil scientists. Detailed soil maps contain over 60 different symbols for more than 35 specific soils. Soils are described in terms of their color, slope, thickness, permeability, and acidity.

WE ought to give more respect to our soil. In his later years, Walt Whitman spoke of his respect and understanding of the soil when he said, “ I bequeth myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love. If you want me again, look under your boot soles.”