Introduction - Geotechnics of Organic Soils and Peat - page 6

Figure 1.7 Marine soil deposit ( Source : Parent Materials Mode of Deposition inAtlantic Canada:Marine,
sis.agr.gc.ca,Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada ©. Reproduced with the permission of the
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2014).
Figure 1.8 Aeolian soil deposit ( Source : http://ec.europa.eu/research/research-for-europe/international-
calter_en.html).
clays, and are very soft. Because of their mode of deposition, most marine soils are
very uniform and consistent (Figure 1.7). Thus although their engineering properties
are often very poor, they may be more predictable than other more erratic soils.
Some sands may also accumulate as marine deposits, especially in areas where
rivers discharge into the sea at a steeper gradient. This sand is moved and sorted by
waves and currents, and some of it is deposited back on shore as beach sands. These
sands are typically very poor graded and very loose.
Deeper marine deposits are more uniform and often content organic materials
from marine organisms.
1.2.6 Aeolian soils
Aeolian soils, also known as eolian soils, are those deposited by wind. This mode of
transportation generally produces very poorly graded soils. These soils are also usually
very loose, and thus have only fair engineering properties (Figure 1.8).