Beyond Drainage Channels: The Characteristics and Global Variations of Colluvium Deposits

Periglacial slope deposits also known as cover beds (CB) are an accepted phenomenon in Europe. KLEBER AND TERHORST (2013b) defined: "CBs are deposits that formed by unconcentrated dislocation processes chiefly from upslope materials, but that may contain admixed eolian matter. They cover undifferentiated slopes to a large extent or even completely rather than being restricted to drainage ways, linear discharges, or local failures. CBs typically consist of several layers separated by disconformities." In Europe, CB consist of an upper layer ("Hauptlage", LH), an intermediate layer ("Mittellage", LM) and a basal layer ("Basislage", LB). According to KLEBER AND TERHORST (2013a) neither do all these types occur outside of Europe, nor are the CBs tied to the previous glaciation alone. In New Zealand the same term does not comply with the European definition but has a more generic meaning (RAESIDE; 1964) . Nonetheless, CBs are being studied in Europe, Asia and Australia, whereas in the USA the definition has not yet been established (HÜLLE ET AL. 2009; KLEBER 1997; WAROSZEWSKI ET AL. 2020).