How Does A Loess Deposit Form - Web essentially, diagenesis turns sediment deposited in the form of dust into a loosely cemented siltstone. Loesslike deposits, on the other hand, include sediments that resemble typical loess only in certain features (mineralogical composition, dominant dust fraction, colour, etc.). The peculiar features of loess are thus developed during a process of loess genesis that is akin to that of soil formation. Loess sediments cover almost 10% of the world’s land surfaces. Web loess—deposits of windblown silt that is carried in suspension far from its source, for tens or even hundreds of kilometers—covers a far larger percentage of the earth’s surface than eolian sand, and it is important for agriculture in many parts of the world, but the topic of loess deposition is beyond the scope of these notes.
The peculiar features of loess are thus developed during a process of loess genesis that is akin to that of soil formation. Web essentially, diagenesis turns sediment deposited in the form of dust into a loosely cemented siltstone. Loesslike deposits, on the other hand, include sediments that resemble typical loess only in certain features (mineralogical composition, dominant dust fraction, colour, etc.). Loess sediments cover almost 10% of the world’s land surfaces. Web loess—deposits of windblown silt that is carried in suspension far from its source, for tens or even hundreds of kilometers—covers a far larger percentage of the earth’s surface than eolian sand, and it is important for agriculture in many parts of the world, but the topic of loess deposition is beyond the scope of these notes.