A horizon

[ eyhuh-rahy-zuhn ]

nounGeology.
  1. the topsoil in a soil profile.

Origin of A horizon

1
First recorded in 1935–40
  • Also called zone of leaching .

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for A horizon

A horizon

noun
  1. the top layer of a soil profile, usually dark-coloured and containing humus and from which soluble salts may have been leached: See B horizon, C horizon

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for A horizon

A horizon

  1. In ABC soil, the uppermost, darkest zone that is rich in organic matter. The upper section of the A horizon usually contains humus along with plant and animal matter in varying stages of decay. The middle section usually contains a high concentration of quartz or other minerals that remain following the leaching away of clay, iron, and aluminum. The lower section is typically transitional in nature between the A horizon and the B horizon. Also called zone of leaching

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.