Regolith, Soils and Landforms

Regolith, Soils and Landforms
Cliff Ollier, Colin Pain
Hardcover
326 pages
December 1995
Regolith is the layer of broken and unconsolidated rock and soil material that forms the surface of the land and covers the bedrock nearly everywhere. An understanding of its properties and structure is very important in topics such as groundwater supply, soil conservation and exploration efforts for economic materials. Regolith, Soils and Landforms is a manual for students, professionals and researchers concerned with the practical examination and analysis of earth surface materials in the field. The text describes many economic aspects of regolith studies, such as the formation of mineral deposits, the importance of weathering zones and how the chemistry of regolith affects human health. Presenting a new view of the geological history of the earth, it places emphasis on the formation and destruction of regolith materials and provides a challenge for established concepts in landscape evolution. It will be an essential text to a wide range of readership including students of Geology, Geomorphology, Geography, Agriculture and Engineering as well as professionals dealing with regolith in their own work.
 

Table of Contents

Partial table of contents:

An Outline of Regolith Studies.

Introduction to Weathering.

Mechanisms of Weathering.

Mineral and Rock Weathering.

Hydrology and the Regolith.

Climate and the Regolith.

Slopes and Plains.

Soils.

Applied Soil Studies.

Duricrusts.

Stratigraphy and Age of the Regolith.

Tectonics and Models of Landscape Evolution.

Ores and Geochemical Exploration.

Techniques in the Study of Regolith.

Regolith Maps.

The Big Picture--Regolith in the Geosystem.

Glossary.

References.

Index.