Talk:Eluvium

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[edit] Soil science

The use in soil science in different, in that it is not focussed on weathering in place, rather it communicates a zone of depletion. Does the following meet with consensus from the editors of this article?

Add: In geology, to: eluvium ... or accumulation.

Add: As used in soil science, eluvium is material removed by eluviation, a process of depletion caused by soil acidification in combination with leaching. An eluvial horizon is one in which sufficient colloids and soluble minerals have been removed to affect soil morphology. An E soil horizon is the classic product of eluvation. An albic horizon is an E horizon with sufficient thickness to affect soil classification under systems similar to USDA soil taxonomy. The zone in which eluvium accumulates (or illuviate) is termed the zone of illuviation.

I am fascinated by how the meaning of eluviation/eluvial/eluvium has drifted apart over the decades since soil science branched off from geology. I am not aware of any other similar ambiguations (I believe I just made up a word). -- Paleorthid 17:16, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

Slept on it. Googled it. The term used in soil science is wikt:eluviation. Eluvium is not ever used in soil science, as far as I can find, so my proposed addition above no longer seems appropriate. I'll dab the soil-related links from eluvium to wikt:eluviation. I'll add some disambiguation language to eluvium. -- Paleorthid 16:41, 10 November 2006 (UTC)