THE USE OF DURICRUSTS AND TOPOGRAPHIC RELATIONSHIPS IN GEOMORPHOLOGICAL CORRELATION - CONCLUSIONS BASED IN AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE

Though there are many possible pitfalls, duricrusted surfaces provide morphostratigraphic markers which are useful in preliminary extrapolat ion and correlation at the local and regional scales, especially if ot her factors, such as landscape evolution and topographic relationships , are also considered. Particular reference is made to ferruginous and siliceous cappings. Close stratigraphic dating of the duricrusts allo ws regional differentiation, but correlations are preferably intra- ra ther than inter-regional, and are at best general, and involve a,age-r anges rather than narrow time-frames. Problems broached include type o f landscape development, the relation of surface and duricrusts, and t he temporal equivalence of duricrust facies, i.e., duricrusts of simil ar chemical tendencies but contrasted morphology. The roles of duricru sts in relief inversion, surface preservation and climatic interpretat ion are also mentioned. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. Al l rights reserved.