How are duricrusts formed?
It is typically formed by the accumulation of soluble minerals deposited by mineral-bearing waters that move upward, downward, or laterally by capillary action, commonly assisted in arid settings by evaporation. There are different types of duricrusts, each distinguished by a dominant mineralogy.
What is duricrust in geography?
duricrust (du’-ri-crust). A general term for a hard crust on the surface of, or layer in the upper horizons of, a soil in a semiarid climate. It is formed by the accumulation of soluble minerals deposited by mineral-bearing waters that move upward by capillary action and evaporate during the dry season.
How is Ferricrete formed?
ferricrete, iron-rich duricrust, an indurated, or hardened, layer in or on a soil. Soil particles are cemented together by iron oxides (such as Fe2O3) precipitated from the groundwater to form an erosion-resistant layer.
What is saprolite soils?
Saprolite is a chemically weathered rock. Saprolites form in the lower zones of soil profiles and represent deep weathering of the bedrock surface. In most outcrops its color comes from ferric compounds. Deeply weathered profiles are widespread on the continental landmasses between latitudes 35°N and 35°S.
Which type of rock is laterite?
Laterite is both a soil and a rock type rich in iron and aluminium and is commonly considered to have formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are of rusty-red coloration, because of high iron oxide content.
What type of rock is ferricrete?
Ferricretes are stratified iron oxyhydroxide deposits, or clastic sedimentary deposits cemented by stratified iron oxyhy- droxide.
In which of the below mentioned soil profile is duricrust formed?
The term duricrust (Latin durus, “hard”) was first applied in Australia to layered materials at or near the Earth’s surface, such as laterites, bauxites, and quartzites. These crusts are not of themselves landforms but represent the chemical alteration of the upper parts of plains and other features of low relief.
What is the difference between Solum and saprolite?
The solum includes the upper horizons with the most weathered portion of the profile. The saprolite is the least weathered portion that lies directly above the solid, consolidated bedrock but beneath the regolith.