Does soil shrink? 5

[XinLok]

I would like to understand, why Soil shrink? Is it because the volume to water which was in soil dissapear due to hot weather?
please have a look on this photo:

What advise about such type of soil or all soil will behave the same way in hot weather?

 

[miningman]

I am reminded about bodily habits of bears when in the woods

 

[oldestguy]

Are these photos shown properly oriented with "up" being "up". Where there was water the spaces are smaller. For some clay it is more complicated as that however. In soil mechanics there also is a shrinkage limit expressed in moisture content.

 

[GeoEnvGuy]

Yes clay shrinks and expands as you move around in the semi solid region (similar your photo) all the way up to the liquid region.

 

[Ron]

Yes, soil can shrink. It depends on the character of the soil (is it clayey, sandy or silty?) Clayey soils are more susceptible to moisture changes and can shrink or expand depending on moisture content. These actions can be so significant as to cause entire structures to move either up or down, depending on the moisture content. When the moisture content is high, clayey soils will tend to expand. When the moisture content is low, clayey soils tend to shrink. The extent of this expansion/shrinkage depends on the character of the clay minerals. Some clayey soils are highly expansive while others exhibit little or no moisture expansion.

Silts can exhibit similar properties though usually not as forceful. Sands do not typically expand or shrink with moisture.

 

[cvg]

uncompacted silty soils can collapse on wetting if enough load is applied

https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/2018/28848-collapsible-soils/