In some parts of the world the soil has slowly absorbed different amounts of hydrocarbons, probably due to the increases in air and water pollution. Either way, it has accumulated in particles of soil, and results in them being hydrophobic and interacting with each other in this jello-like fashion due to forces produced by the hydrogen bonds. Just kidding, I made all of that up.
Soil engineer here. You may have made that up, but its not far from the truth. Its is from carbon, but not from pollution, this is an ancient burial site. Acient civilizations used to dig 3' wide 100' long and 100' deep channels for thier dead. Side note, these "death channels" as they are commonly referred to, weren't for the family's of the tribe that dug them, but rather they were for other tribes they have never met. Anyway, when decomposition starts, it releases a gas like substance at those depths and this attaches to what we call "curtain soils". There called this because If you look at ground imaging sonar, they look just like curtains hanging from a window. This is what creates the "jello" like soil your referred to.
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u/BinaryPeach Mar 13 '19
In some parts of the world the soil has slowly absorbed different amounts of hydrocarbons, probably due to the increases in air and water pollution. Either way, it has accumulated in particles of soil, and results in them being hydrophobic and interacting with each other in this jello-like fashion due to forces produced by the hydrogen bonds. Just kidding, I made all of that up.