Why are Georgia Soils Red?
Not all Georgia soils are red, but many of them are. The State is well known for its abundance of “Georgia Red Clay”. People often ask why the soils are red. The red color that is so evident in Georgia soils is due primarily to iron oxides. Soils form from the interaction of climate, organisms, parent materials, relief, and time. Red soils in Georgia result from the affect of a warm, humid climate weathering acid crystalline rocks on rolling hills over a long period of time. Soils in much of Georgia, particularly the Southern Piedmont region of North Georgia, developed in materials weathered primarily from granite and gneiss. These rocks are black, white, and gray, and are relatively low in bases, or natural fertility. Georgia has a climate of warm (hot) temperatures and high rainfall, so there has been intense weathering of the rocks over the years. High rainfall has leached out most of the bases that were present. Materials that remain are composed mostly of iron, aluminum, and silic
