Original paper
Charactristics of the regolith in shield regions
Bremer, Hanna
Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, Supplementary Issues Volume 54 Supplementary Issue 1 (2010), p. 44 - 65
published: May 1, 2010
DOI: 10.1127/zfg_suppl/54/2010/44
ArtNo. ESP023105401004, Price: 29.00 €
Abstract
Soil is often identified as a biotic or rooted layer. Regolith refers to loose material covering solid rock and/or redeposited sediments. Saprolite is the lower part of an in situ regolith in which rock structures can still be recognized. These may be quartz veins, even if they are heavily fractured, rock blocks or striae and layered structures such as found above gneiss. In the field saprolite refers to in situ weathering. Field identification can be supplemented by laboratory analyses especially when quartz splitting or pseudomorphs indicate autochthon weathering. Allochthonous soils are much more difficult to identify in the field. With the exception of obvious sedimentary structures such as depressions clear stratification is rarely observed. Stonelines are not suitable indicators of sedimentation due to the various ways in which they may form (5.2.3). Soil characteristics and structures indicative of formation in the extratropics are often applied to tropical soils. Only a few of these are used in the following whereby especially conclusions in regard to processes and formation are discussed.
Keywords
biotic • layers • pseudomorphs • gneiss • saprolite • regolith • tropical soils