Parent materials: Loess

Loess is commonly defined as a distinct body of mainly wind-blown silt and covers c. 10% of the Earth's surface, mainly in the temperate zone. Silicate silt predominates over carbonate, clay and some fine sand, making loess a favorable soil parent material. Thick loess deposits are well-mapped and important archives of Quaternary landscape and human evolution, whereas thin loess deposits and dust admixtures into soils are rarely studied, despite their usually positive influence on soil properties.