What is one characteristic of soil that breaks apart easily under pressure?

The correct answer attributes the characteristic of breaking apart easily under pressure to the presence of distinct cleavage planes. This term refers to the tendency of some minerals and materials to split along specific structural planes or layers within their crystalline structure. This property makes them more susceptible to breaking apart when pressure is applied, as the force can exploit these weak points, leading to a clean break.

In geology, distinct cleavage planes are critical in identifying minerals, as they can reveal the arrangement of atoms in the structure. Thus, minerals with pronounced cleavage will exhibit this behavior consistently when force is applied.

Other characteristics, such as high clay content, presence of nutrients, and high organic matter, influence soil properties but do not directly relate to the ability to break apart easily under pressure in the same way that distinct cleavage planes do. High clay content can make soil more cohesive and less likely to break apart easily, while nutrients and organic matter primarily affect fertility and soil health rather than structural integrity.