Mid-Latitude Slope Deposits (Cover Beds)

1 Introduction 1.1 Scope of the book 1.2 Structure of the book 1.3 Terminology 1.4 History of ideas 1.5 Cover beds in the context of the “Earth’s critical zone” concept 2.Subdued mountains of Central Europe 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Sedimentary properties of layers 2.2.1 The basal layer 2.2.2 The intermediate layer 2.2.3 The upper layer 2.2.4 Laser granulometry of cover beds2.3 Distribution and thickness of layers 2.3.1 The basal layer 2.3.2 The intermediate layer 2.3.3 The upper layer 2.3.4 Overview of the distribution of periglacial cover-beds 2.4 Classification issues 2.4.1 Discrimination among Pleistocene cover beds 2.4.2 Anthropogenic layers 2.4.2.1 Genesis and classification of anthropogenic layers 2.4.2.2 Properties of anthropogenic layers 2.4.2.3 Discrimination of anthropogenic layers from periglacial cover beds 2.5 Statistical approach to layer properties and distribution 2.5.1 Approach 2.5.2 Basal layer properties 2.5.3 Intermediate layer properties 2.5.4 Upper layer properties 2.5.5 Overall view on statistical results 2.6 Genesis of cover beds 2.6.1 The basal layer 2.6.2 The intermediate layer 2.6.3 The upper layer 2.6.4 Incorporation of substrates 2.6.4.1 Incorporation processes 2.6.4.2 Case study I: Sandreuth, north-eastern Bavaria 2.6.4.3 Case study II: Spessart Mountains, south-eastern Hesse 2.7 Chronology of periglacial cover beds 2.7.1 Relative-age criteria 2.7.1.1 Introduction 2.7.1.2 Age of the basal layer 2.7.1.3 Age of the intermediate layer 2.7.1.4 Age of the upper layer 2.7.2 Numerical dating of periglacial cover beds 2.7.2.1 Introduction 2.7.2.2 Methodical difficulties in dating cover beds 2.7.2.3 Luminescence-dating results from basal layers 2.7.2.4 Luminescence-dating results from intermediate layers 2.7.2.5 Luminescence-dating results from upper layers 2.7.2.6 Conclusions 2.8 Regional differences in cover-bed properties and distribution 2.8.1 Highest altitudes of subdued mountains 2.8.2 Rhenish Massif 2.8.3 Carbonate rocks of the eastern Thuringian Basin 2.8.3.1 Introduction 2.8.3.2 Properties and distribution of cover beds 2.8.3.3 Conclusions 3 Cover beds with interbedded/intercalated loess-like slope deposits 4 Influence of cover beds on soils 4.1 Introduction 4.2 An integrated soil-evolution model for lithologically discontinuous soil 4.3 Pedogenesis in cover beds 4.4 Consequences for soil properties 4.4.1 Theory of soil properties in lithologically discontinuous soil 4.4.2 Physical Soil Properties 4.4.2.1 Texture in lithologically discontinuous soil 4.4.2.2 Soil water in lithologically discontinuous soil 4.4.3 Chemical soil properties 4.4.3.1 Geochemical composition of cover beds 4.4.3.2 Heavy metals 4.4.3.3 Oxalate and dithionite-extractable iron 4.4.3.4 pH-value and acidification 4.4.3.5 Stratigraphic approach to alteration in soils from cover beds 4.5 Conclusions 5 Influence of cover beds on slope hydrology 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Basic hypotheses 5.3 Case studies 5.3.1 Overview 5.3.2 Frankenwald Mountains 5.3.2.1 Introduction 5.3.2.2 Results 5.3.2.3 Conclusions 5.3.3 Sauerland 5.3.4 Erzgebirge 5.4 Conclusions 6 Geotechnical properties of periglacial cover beds 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Internal stability of cover beds derived from the 'infinite mechanical slope model' 6.3 Case studies 6.3.1 Stability of cover beds in the flysch zone of the Vienna Forest (Austria) 6.3.1.1 Study area 6.3.1.2 Distribution and composition of slope deposits in the Hagenbach Valley 6.3.1.3 Soil-mechanical stability of cover beds and bedrock 6.3.2 Stability of cover beds on Early Triassic sandstones of southern Lower Saxony (Germany) 6.3.2.1 Study area 6.3.2.2 Distribution and composition of slope deposits 6.3.2.3 Soil mechanic characteristics and stability of slope deposits 6.3.2.4 Calculation of soil-mechanic stability of slope deposits 6.4 Perspectives 7 Transferring the concept of cover beds 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Basins and lowlands of the mid-latitudes 7.2.1 Northern Russian Plain 7.2.1.1 Successions of cover beds 7.2.1.2 Sequence-stratigraphic approach 7.2.1.3 Comparison to Central European successions 7.2.2 Northern Great Basin, USA 7.2.2.1 Buried cover beds 7.2.2.2 Surficial cover beds 8 Laser granulometry of cover beds and separating process regimes by end-member modelling 8.2.2.3 Genesis and paleoenvironmental implications of Great Basin cover beds 8.2.3 Konya Basin of South-Central Turkey 8.3 High mountains of the mid-latitudes 8.3.1 European Alps 8.3.1.1 Cover beds below modern timberline 8.3.1.2 Cover beds above timberline 8.3.2 Mountains of the western U.S.A. 8.3.2.1 Cover beds below timberline 8.3.2.2 Cover beds in the Colorado Front Range above timberline 8.4 Conclusions 8.4.1 Significance of cover-beds 8.4.2 Cover-beds in humid areas 8.4.3 Cover-beds in semiarid areas 8.4.4 Cover beds and elevation 9 Relative dating with cover beds 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Case study at the Swabian Jurassic escarpment 9.2.1 Study area 9.2.2 Geomorphological setting in landslide areas 9.2.3 Pedological and sedimentological setting in landslide areas 9.2.3.1 Unstable, active slope areas of the Swabian Alb 9.2.3.2 Stable slope areas of the Swabian Alb 9.2.4 Model of the distribution of periglacial layers and soils in landslide areas 9.3 Case studies in the western U.S.A. 9.3.1 Introduction 9.3.2 River terraces of Castle Valley, South-East Utah 9.3.3 A case of misleading tephrochronology? 9.3.4 Ice-wedge casts in South-Central Wyoming 9.3.5 Moraines in the Ruby Mountains, North-East Nevada 9.4 Cover beds of Early Quaternary age 9.5 Conclusions 10 Provenance of cover-bed eolian matter using U-Pb dating of detrital zircons 11 Conclusions 11.1 Takeouts of this book 11.2 Future research demands on cover beds