Topography

The influence of topography is felt through the amount of exposure of a surface to sunlight, drainage condition, and slope angle etc. In middle latitudes pole-facing slopes may have slightly different soil conditions from equator-facing slopes due to poor exposure to sunlight. Soils on hillsides tend to be much better drained than those in valleys, where gleying may take place. The susceptibility of soil to erosion increases with gradient, and soils on steep slopes are normally thinner than those on flat sites.