Loessification and hydroconsolidation: There is a connection

Loessification can be defined as the acquisition of loessic characteristics by ground systems. Hydroconsolidation, in this context, is the collapse of the loess ground structure under the influence of loading and wetting. Loess, on aeolian deposition, is metastable- a pre-requisite for eventual collapse. The actual collapse mechanism is dependent on the presence of a critical amount of clay mineral material at major particle contacts. This clay accumulates via post-depositional processes; processes which can be described as part of loessification and as a contribution to collapsibility. Studies at Ospringe in Kent, England support observations made in the Bohemian Massif in the Czech Republic about the nature of the loess ground system and the role of clay minerals and calcite crystals. Fragipan formation, another important post-deposition event, could depend on hydroconsolidation in loess ground.