Physiographic implications of laterite in West Malaysia

R.J. Eyles, University of Malaya
1970 Bulletin of the Geological Society of Malaysia  
A map of laterite-bearing soil associations is presented which illustrates the widespread but Fragmentary location of laterite in the lowland areas of Malaya and the tendency for it to be most widespread in areas with relatively dry climates and argillaceous rocks. Laterite commonly occurs in Four positions in the landscape: flat alluvial land, foot slopes, gently undulating country, and hill summits. Laterites of two small sample areas are demonstrated, by measurement of soi l properties
more » ... strength, infiltration capacity, percentage clay and aggregate stability) to be very resistant to erosion. TIllS resistance has led to relief inversion with fossilization of laterite as summit caps in several parts of Malaya. The possibility of using these summit formations as marker levels in studies of denudation chronology is briefly discussed.
doi:10.7186/bgsm03197001 fatcat:n6dthgafz5c4ro63wex2fuy2va