Why is dirt almost always a brown color?
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Primarily due to oxidation. The same process that turns an avocado brown when you cut it and leave it exposed to oxygen. Many elements in soil also change color while oxidized. As a geologist I tend to see browner soils predominantly near the surface or a characteristic of young soils that have more recently been deposited (like alluvial soils). Topsoils tend to be very dark brown because they contain a lot of roots which makes the soil porous and therefore aerated. Also they are organic rich which adds to the darker brown to black color. Also deeper soils that drain well tend to be brown like sands since they don’t hold onto water they get more exposure to air.
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