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Regolith, Soils and Landforms »

Book cover image of Regolith, Soils and Landforms by Cliff Ollier

Authors: Cliff Ollier, Colin Pain
ISBN-13: 9780471961215, ISBN-10: 0471961213
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated
Date Published: April 1996
Edition: (Non-applicable)

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Author Biography: Cliff Ollier

Book Synopsis

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

Preface
Acknowledgments
lAn outline of regolith studies1
2Introduction to weathering9
3Mechanisms of weathering23
4Mineral and rock weathering38
5Hydrology and the regolith63
6Climate and the regolith80
7Landforms and surficial sediments97
8Slopes and plains114
9Soils130
10Applied soil studies144
11Duricrusts158
12Stratigraphy and age of the regolith179
13Tectonics and models of landscape evolution203
14Ores and geochemical exploration218
15Techniques in the study of regolith239
16Regolith maps256
17The big picture - regolith in the geosystem274
References286
Glossary307
Index309

Subjects