the.com/claypan
A soil layer so stubborn it turns rain into a rooftop instead of a drink.
means A hard, dense layer of clay-rich subsoil that water can barely penetrate, so it pools or runs off instead of soaking in.
from A straightforward compound of 'clay' and 'pan' — 'pan' here meaning a hard, flattish layer of soil or rock, a sense used by farmers and geologists for things like 'hardpan.' The word likely grew out of practical agricultural speech, from people who dug into the ground and kept hitting the same stubborn, water-resistant sheet.
- what it is
- Dense clay layer blocking water and roots underground
- farmer's enemy
- Causes waterlogging above, drought conditions just below
- formed by
- Clay particles washed down and compacted over millennia
- fix attempt
- Deep ripping or gypsum sometimes breaks it open