Micromorphological analysis of loose deposits: from magnifier to tomography

Abstract

This article highlights key moments in the history of the development of loose material micromorphological analysis, analysing its current position in the context of lithological facies studies. This method was developed to reconstruct the conditions of transport and deposition of Quaternary deposits. Since the 1970s, the study of grain surfaces has been used to study the features of cryogenesis formation in deposits. The development of the method was facilitated by the technical progress of the twentieth century, and the development of electron microscopy has brought the method to a completely new level. Currently, micromorphological analysis remains the most widely used method of analysing the surface of grains. However, modern methods for studying the surface of particles, such as computed tomography, are now being introduced into the research methodology. This in turn significantly expands the research scope: in recent years, the shape and degree of roundness of grains has been used to analyse the properties of soils for construction. As of today, the volume of publications abroad significantly exceeds the number of publications in Russia.