23 Topics: looking forward in Loess Research

Ian J.Smalley
Giotto Loess Research Group, Geography epartment,
Leicester !ni"ersity, Leicester L#$ %R&, !'
(i)s*+le.ac.uk,
Slo-odan ../arko"ic
La-oratory for 0alaeoen"ironmental Reconstruction,
!ni"ersity of 1o"i Sad, 1o"i Sad 2$333 Ser-ia
(slo-odan.marko"ic+dgt.uns.ac.rs,
In $433, a"id &il-ert5 most famous of mathematicians5
at a mathematical congress in .erlin, presented a list of
26 pro-lems and topics of interest which kept his fellow
mathematicians -usy for the 23
th
7entury. 8e attempt
something similar, on a smaller and more modest scale
(as -efits hum-le earth scientists,. &ere are 26 topics for
consideration -y loess scholars: for 2$
st
7entury9 :or
23$*;
3$. 8ords. .etter as an ad)ecti"e than a noun may-e9
Loess ground, soils, material, deposits etc.
32. 0articles. It is a particulate material< it needs to -e
seen as such< more thought on particle nature, and
formation.
36. Structures: loess is a structure, a packing, this is
central to the idea of loess.
3*. .onds: interparticle forces< long range and short
range -onds
3=. 7ollapse: the defining dynamic e"ent.
3>. /ineralogy.
3%. ust?loess relationships. Loess as large dust.
3@. 0laces. India, Africa, Australia, Si-eria5 there are
places to -e eBplored and mapped.
34. pL Loessification: small scale loessification.
$3. 0T7 systems: definea-le e"ents in the formation of
a loess deposit: 0 pro"enance, T transport. deposit, 7
change.
$$. 1ew dating techniCues. &ere is stratigraphy5 this is
an action Done. Loess stratigraphy will -e central to loess
research for many years
$2. 7limate: loess records climate5 precision grows.
0alaeoclimatology can -e accessed "ia loess.
$6. Ri"ers. Large ri"ers may transport loess material. The
loess?ri"er connection reCuires further study.
$*. 0lanets: /ars, Titan, others may-e.
$=. #rosion: the disruption of the packing.
$>. eformation. 1ot )ust the classic collapse of the open
structure -ut the interesting properties of remoulded
loess< the ETeton amF pro-lem.
$%. 7yclicity. /ilanko"itch pro"ided a cyclic underpinning
for the Guaternary< we link his cyclic structures to the
o-ser"ations on loess deposits.
$@. Larger animals: /ammoths mostly. All sorts of
"erte-rates including &omo e. /oas.
$4. Smaller animals. 7yan-acteria certainly. Snails, sand
martins, -ee5eaters
23. Agriculture: loess impro"es soils.
2$. 7i"iliDation: loess promotes ci"iliDation.
22. Language. /any aspects of loess study remain
regional. The history is written in German< a "ast amount
of literature is in Russian.
26. 7omputer worlds: a new setting for loess research.
A more detailed "ersion of this list is a"aila-le on the
ELoess GroundF -log. It is a proposed list, an initial list, in
this a-stract forms a very short list, a su-)ecti"e list5
additions and modifications are in"ited. Loess research is
-urgeoning5 there is room for many suggestions and
proposals. And the nature of the list may need ad)usting5
do we need $3 words per entry, or $33 or $3339