ABSTRACT
This chapter concerns primarily with inorganic sediments such as tills, aeolian and cave sediments, and fossil soils, although some of the properties of biogenic sediments are also considered. Wherever possible, lithological investigations should be carried out on open sections so that variations in stratigraphy, both vertically and horizontally, can be carefully recorded. Since most Quaternary sedimentary sequences, when traced laterally, vary in both thickness and complexity, the sedimentary history of a site is often difficult to ascertain when only a single core is taken. Particle size distribution is a most important diagnostic property of a body of sediment. Because sediments vary enormously in the quantity, size and type of magnetic minerals that they contain, they can often be readily characterized on the basis of their magnetic properties. Glacial sediments of Quaternary age cover large areas of the earth's surface, particularly in the mid-latitude regions.
