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laterization

American  
[lat-er-uh-zey-shuhn] / ˌlæt ər əˈzeɪ ʃən /

noun

Geology.

  1. the weathering process by which rock is changed to laterite.

laterization Scientific  
/ lăt′ə-rĭ-zā′shən /

  1. The weathering process by which soils and rocks are depleted of soluble substances, such as silica-rich and alkaline components and enriched with insoluble substances, such as hydrated aluminum and iron oxides. Laterization is especially common in tropical regions that have a pronounced dry season and a water table that is close to the surface.

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Complete defoliation could also cause laterization, the destructive process that occurs in some tropical soils when removal of vegetation exposes them to erosion and sunlight.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.