Loam

Loam is a type of soil comprised of varying proportions of sand, silt, and clay.

Particle Sizes

Photo courtesy of USDA Horticulture and soil science wiki

As seen in the figure to the right, the three type of soil can be combined in different amounts to form varying types of loam. The particle sizes range from large to small starting with sand, which is defined as having a particle size greater than 63 µm, silt, with a particle size greater than 2 µm, and clay, with particle sizes smaller than 2 µm. [1]

References

1. Kaufmann, Robert K.; Cutler J. Cleveland (2008). Environmental Science. McGraw-Hill. pp. 318–319. ISBN 978-0-07-298429-3.