A Colour Guide to PaleosolsBuried soils (paleosols) are becoming widely recognized in sedimentary rock sequences and are generating much interest among Earth scientists. One reason why paleosols have not been widely recognized until recently is that soil scientists have had little opportunity to consider paleosols in sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. Another reason may be the profound alteration of paleosols after burial, so that few paleosols look exactly like surface soils. Colour is an obvious and important feature of paleosols, which are among the most colourful of all rocks, as can be seen from Petrified Forest and Badlands National Parks, USA. With its spectacular colour plates this book serves as an introduction to the colourful world of paleosols. This volume is also a handbook. With concise text and supporting illustrations, it introduces the basic problems of recognizing paleosols in the field and through laboratory studies, unravelling alteration of paleosols after burial, and interpreting ancient environments and life from paleosols. With its extensive index and glossary it is also a gateway to the terminology of geology and soil science. This book will provide an excellent reference for advanced students, researchers and professionals in the areas of sedimentology, stratigraphy, soil science, palaeontology, oil geology, and other related disciplines. |
Contents
Soil structure | 14 |
What else could it | 28 |
Interpretation of paleosols | 43 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
25 cm long accumulation acidic Alfisol alteration American Land Mammal Andisols Aridisol birefringent brown burrows calcareous nodules calcic horizons calcite carbonate cemented chemical clay paleosol clay skins clayey claystones coal Colour photo compaction cracks crossed nicols crystals cutans deep burial desert soils developed diagenesis dry climates edited Entisol Figure fossil Geological Society gleization gley grains grey groundwater gypsum haematite hammer for scale handle 25 cm highly birefringent streaks Histosol illite Inceptisol iron kaolinite Land Mammal Age laterite layers matrix metamorphic microfabric micromorphology minerals Miocene Mollisol organic matter oxides Oxisol paleosols parent material peat pedogenic pedotype peds plant Precambrian preserved pyrite quartz Retallack rock root traces sandstone saprolite sediment siderite silica smectite Society of America soil formation soil horizon Soil Science Soil Survey Staff soils and paleosols soils formed specimen Spodosol structure subsurface horizon surface horizon surface soils thick thin section Ultisol USA Retallack vegetation Vertisols volcanic weathering