Crossword clues for hardpan
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Hardpan \Hard"pan`\ (h[aum]rd"p[a^]n), n. The hard substratum. Same as Hard pan, under Hard, a.
Wiktionary
n. 1 A distinct layer of soil that is largely impervious to water. 2 A dry lake.
WordNet
n. crust or layer of hard subsoil encrusted with calcium-carbonate occurring in arid or semiarid regions [syn: caliche]
Wikipedia
In soil science, agriculture and gardening, hardpan or ouklip is a dense layer of soil, usually found below the uppermost topsoil layer. There are different types of hardpan, all sharing the general characteristic of being a distinct soil layer that is largely impervious to water. Some hardpans are formed by deposits in the soil that fuse and bind the soil particles. These deposits can range from dissolved silica to matrices formed from iron oxides and calcium carbonate. Others are man-made, such as hardpan formed by compaction from repeated plowing, particularly with moldboard plows, or by heavy traffic or pollution.
Usage examples of "hardpan".
He raised the light, flashing the beam across the round, smooth terraces of what had been superheated mud pits, now cooled to dance floors of garishly colored hardpan still ringed with the traces of final bubbles--and there they were.