Weathering, Soils and Paleosols

About this book

Covers the processes of weathering and soil formation as indicators of the present environment of the Earth's land surface. Examined are the various ways in which this information can be used to interpret past environments which have produced the soils now preserved as paleosols

Contents

Preface and Acknowledgements. List of Contributors. A. INTRODUCTION. 1. Reflections on soils and Paleosols (I.P. Martini and W. Chesworth). B. PROCESSES ON AND NEAR THE PLANETARY LAND SURFACE. 2. Weathering systems (W. Chesworth). 3. Extraterrestrial soils - the lunar experience (J.F. Lindsay). 4. Incipient weathering: some new concepts on weathering, clay formation and organization (M. Robert and D. Tessier). 5. Alteration products at the earth's surface - the clay minerals (L.J. Evans). 6. Diagenesis and metasomatism of weathering profiles, with emphasis on Precambrian paleosols (H.W. Nesbitt). C. THE PRESENT LAND SURFACE OF THE EARTH. 7. Soils of Alpine mountains (J.P. Legros). 8. Soils of cold climate regions (I.B. Campbell and G.G.C. Claridge). 9. Organic soils (W. Shotyk). Desert soils (A. Watson). 11. Quaternary soil chronosequences in various environments - extremely arid to humid tropical (P.W. Birkeland). 12. Weathering in humid regions, with emphasis on igneous rocks and their metamorphic equivalents (F. Macias and W. Chesworth). D. ADVANCED WEATHERING STAGES ON LANDSCAPES NOT RECENTLY AFFECTED BY TECTONIC OR GLACIAL ACTIVITY. 13. Calcrete (A.R. Milnes). 14. Silicretes (A.R. Milnes and M. Thiry). 15. Diversity and terminology of lateritic profiles (Y. Tardy). 16. Geochemistry and evolution of lateritic landscapes (Y. Tardy and C. Roquin). 17. Metallogeny of weathering: an introduction (D.B. Nahon, B. Boulange and F. Colin). E. THE ROLE OF PALEOSOLS IN INTERPRETING ANCIENT LANDSCAPES. 18. Paleopedology: stratigraphic relationships and empirical models (V.P. Wright). 19. Underclays and related paleosols associated with coals (R.E. Hughes , P.J. Demaris and W.A. White). 20. Mesozoic and Tertiary paleosols (M.J. Kraus). 21. Paleozoic paleosols (G.J. Retallack). F. CLASSIFICATIONS OF VARIOUS EARTH MATERIALS. 22. Classification of earth materials: a brief examination of examples (W. Chesworth, G.A. Spiers, L.J. Evans and I.P. Martini). References Index. Subject Index.

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