earth science

Head (geology)

Head (geology) is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Head (geology) rather than just read about it. In short: Head describes deposits consisting of fragmented material which, following weathering, have moved downslope through a process of solifluction. The term has been used by British geologists since the middle of the 19th century to describe such material in a range of different settings from flat hilltops to the bottoms of valleys.

Key takeaways

Head (geology) belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Head (geology) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Head (geology) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Head describes deposits consisting of fragmented material which, following weathering, have moved downslope through a process of solifluction. The term has been used by British geologists since the middle of the 19th century to describe such material in a range of different settings from flat hilltops to the bottoms of valleys. Areas identified as head include deposits of aeolian origin such as blown sand and loess, slope deposits such as gelifluctates and solifluctates, and recently eroded soil material, called colluvium. With geologists becoming more interested in studying the near-surface environment and its related processes, the term head is becoming obsolete. A related term is 'combe (or coombe) rock', descriptive of a body of chalk and flint fragments contained within a mass of chalky earth typically found on the chalk downlands of south-east England and resulting from freeze-thaw processes. Where the mass is also soliflucted, it is considered a variety of head. Though its earliest use is attributed to De la Beche in 1839 he mentions that in 1837 Mr. Trevelyn of Guernsey observed “ a bed of disintegrated granite, about three feet thick, mixed with angular fragments, thus reminding us of the head of angular fragments so commonly seen in Cornwall and Devon.“

Related concepts Diamicton - any poorly sorted terrigenous sedimentary deposit. Colluvium - a type of diamicton deposited by down slope non-fluvial processes. Till - diamicton deposited specifically by the underneath of a glacier. Olistostrome - the submarine counterpart to terrigenous diamicton.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Head (geology)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Head (geology) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Head (geology) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Head (geology) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Head (geology)

In research: Head (geology) appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Head (geology) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Head (geology) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Deposition (geology), Geochronology, Geochronology stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Head (geology) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Head (geology) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Head (geology) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Head (geology) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Head (geology) in simple terms?

Why does Head (geology) matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Head (geology)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Head (geology).