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Palaeosoils: Legacies of Past Landscapes, with a Series of Contrasting Examples from Malta

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Landscapes and Landforms of the Maltese Islands

Part of the book series: World Geomorphological Landscapes ((WGLC))

Abstract

The role which soil plays as an indicator of landscape stability is discussed. The influential model and concepts developed by Butler (1959) are used as the framework through which soils of the past can be studied. Although only a relatively few Quaternary depositional sequences are observable on the Maltese Islands almost without exception, they all contain palaeosoil material. The specific sites discussed (Marfa ridge, Santa Maria Bay (Comino), St. Thomas Bay, Għar Lapsi and Ċirkewwa) reveal how palaeosoils can be used to provide insights into differing aspects of landscape history. In addition, buried materials can also provide information about the nature of soil.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Portsmouth, Lion Terrace, Portsmouth, PO1 3HE, UK

    Paul Farres

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  1. Paul Farres
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Correspondence to Paul Farres .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts, University of Malta, Msida, Malta

    Ritienne Gauci

  2. Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts, University of Malta, Msida, Malta

    John A. Schembri

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Farres, P. (2019). Palaeosoils: Legacies of Past Landscapes, with a Series of Contrasting Examples from Malta. In: Gauci, R., Schembri, J. (eds) Landscapes and Landforms of the Maltese Islands. World Geomorphological Landscapes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15456-1_12

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