During the Quaternary period, the geological epoch covering the last 1.8 million years, major climatic fluctuations and widespread glaciation had a marked impact on soil characteristics and distribution patterns in the northern hemisphere. This handbook summarizes the evidence for climatic change derived from deposits of land areas and from deep ocean sediments. The author considers soil patterns in eastern England, the midwestern United States, the Netherlands, Belgium, and northern France, examines the main Quaternary processes influencing soil patterns, and outlines their effects at various scales.

On the effects of Quaternary processes of erosion, deposition, soil development, and recognition and interpretation. Methods of classifying, correlating, mapping and dating are described, and the useful interrelations with other disciplines involved in Quaternary studies are explored. The wide range of analytical laboratory techniques applicable to Quaternary deposits are not described in detail, but their uses and limitations are discussed so that the field geologist can decide when it is worth calling upon the services of an expert analyst. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Based on papers presented at the Annual Discussion Meeting of the Quaternary Research Association at Brighton Polytechnic in January of 1984, this collection links soil studies and landscape change. Organized into three sections covering major soil-forming processes and techniques of examination, and studies at various geographical scales of the relationship of soils and landscape evolution during the Quaternary Period.

This text describes the Quaternary through the different natural environments which always characterized the Earth, but which fluctuated during the Quaternary, due to climatic variations. There are chapters on prehistory and stratigraphy with Quaternary volcanism and inlandsis.