Mapping and naming paleosols

Abstract

Paleopedology is a field science. Its objects of study are too bulky to be brought back into the laboratory in their entirety, and must be characterized and sampled outdoors. Field work commonly involves identifying different kinds of paleosols and establishing their relationships with each other and the enclosing sediments or rocks. These dual activities of mapping and naming are a necessary first step in the study of paleosols. Such field observations will determine how a paleosol is sampled and later analyzed. More sophisticated indoor studies may refine or test hypotheses developed in the field, but are unlikely to supplant them. Therefore, it pays to have a logical plan for mapping and naming paleosols, and this plan will vary according to the aims of the study. Three common aims are considered in this chapter: paleoenvironmental interpretation of paleosols, use of paleosols as stratigraphic marker horizons, and portrayal of paleosols on geological maps.