Knowra Regolith Regolith Regolith is the layer of loose, unconsolidated material covering solid bedrock. It includes soil, sediments, and weathered rock, on Earth and other solid bodies.
Bedrock : Bedrock is solid rock beneath loose surface material or soil. Regolith overlies bedrock, the consolidated substrate from which some of it forms.
Mechanical weathering : Mechanical weathering breaks rock into smaller pieces without changing its chemical composition. It creates fragments that can accumulate directly above bedrock.
Lunar regolith : Lunar regolith is the layer of loose dust, soil, and rock fragments covering the Moon's surface. It is a distinctive extraterrestrial example with no liquid-water weathering or biological soil formation.
Soil mantle : A soil mantle is a continuous or extensive cover of soil over underlying geological material. The term emphasizes soil cover, while regolith can include material that has not become soil.
Critical zone : The critical zone is Earth's near-surface region where rock, soil, water, air, and living organisms interact. Regolith forms a major part of this coupled zone of surface processes.
Weathering : Weathering is the physical breakdown and chemical alteration of rock at or near Earth's surface. It produces much of the loosened mineral material in terrestrial regolith.
Chemical weathering : Chemical weathering alters minerals through reactions with water, gases, and dissolved substances. It transforms minerals within regolith and can weaken the rock beneath it.
Martian regolith : Martian regolith is loose mineral material covering solid rock on Mars. Its composition and physical properties shape rover mobility and plans for using local resources.
Saprolite : Saprolite is deeply weathered rock that retains the structure of its parent rock. It is a weathered, commonly cohesive part of regolith rather than loose sediment alone.
Groundwater recharge : Groundwater recharge is the movement of water from the surface into an aquifer. Regolith can store and transmit infiltrating water before it reaches groundwater.
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