This comprehensive reference will enable recent geology, geography and soil science graduates working with regolith materials and postgraduate students to acquire a sound background in aspects of regolith geoscience. It indicates how regolith is developed from parental rocks and emphasizes the importance of chemical, physical, water and biological processes in regolith formation. It provides full colour illustrations of textures in regolith materials and details of their chemical and physical properties. The book also provides details for mapping regolith landforms and objective information on applications in mineral exploration and natural resource management. It will enable recent graduates working with regolith materials and postgraduate students to acquire a sound background in aspects of regolith geoscience even if he/she has not studied regolith science during undergraduate courses.

Each chapter is written by an expert on that topic and consistency between chapters is provided by the editors who have international standing as regolith geoscientists. It summarises research carried out over a 12 year period within the CRC for Landscape Environments and Mineral Exploration.