Interpretation of micromorphological features of soils and regoliths Soil micromorphology deals with the microscopic study of undisturbed soil and regolith samples making use especially of thin sections and petrographic techniques. It exists as a discipline for almost 70 years. Micromorphology is used by pedologists quaternary geologists sedimentologists and since two decennia intensively by archaeologists. This book provides the state of art in the field of genetic interpretation of micromorphological features which is not restricted to the classic genetic soil horizons but also covers processes of soil material formation and weathering and the results of human activities and regoliths in a wider sense. State of art in the field of genetic interpretation of micromorphological features Over 2 600 different references Written by 46 leading experts in the field Micromorphology as a tool in soil and regolith studies Georges Stoops Micromorphological features and their relation to processes and classification: general guidelines and keys Georges Stoops Vera Marcelino & Florias Mees Colluvial and mass wasting deposits Herman Mücher Henk van Steijn & Frans Kwaad Saprolites Siti Zauyah Carlos E.G.R. Schaefer & Felipe N.B. Simas Pedoplasmation: formation of soil material Georges Stoops & Carlos E.G.R. Schaefer Frost action Brigitte Van Vliet Lano Vertic features Irina Kovda & Ahmet R. Mermut Redoximorphic features David L. Lindbo Mark H. Stolt & Mike J. Vepraskas Calcium carbonate features Nicolas Durand H. Curtis Monger & Matthew G. Canti Gypsic features Rosa M. Poch Octavio Artieda Juan Herrero & Marina Lebedeva Verba Textural pedofeatures and related horizons Peter Kühn José Aguilar & Rienk Miedema Spodic materials Michael A. Wilson & Dominique Righi Regoliths and soils on volcanic ash Sergey Sedov Georges Stoops & Sergey Shoba Oxic and related materials Vera Marcelino Georges Stoops & Carlos E.G.R. Schaefer Lateritic and bauxitic materials Georges Stoops & Vera Marcelino Topsoils : mollic takyric and yermic horizons Maria Gerasimova & Marina Lebedeva Soil organic matter Mark H. Stolt & David L. Lindbo Features related to faunal activity Maja J. Kooistra & Mirjam M. Pulleman Physical and biological surface crusts and seals Marcello Pagliai & Georges Stoops Salt minerals in saline soils and salt crusts Florias Mees & Tatiana V. Tursina Pedogenic and biogenic siliceous features Ma. del Carmen Gutǐrrez Castorena & William R. Effland Authigenic silicate minerals sepiolite palygorskite zeolites and sodium silicates Florias Mees Phosphatic features Panagiotis Karkanas & Paul Goldberg Sulphidic and sulphuric materials Florias Mees & Georges Stoops Anthropogenic features W. Paul Adderley Clare A. Wilson Ian A. Simpson & Donald A. Davidson Archaeological materials Richard I. Macphail & Paul Goldberg Palaeosoils and relict soils Nicolas Fedoroff Marie Agn͏̈s Courty & Zhengtang Guo