Micromorphology: as a tool in the detection, analyses and interpretation of (glacial) sediments and man-made materials

Micromorphology can be used in studying a wide range of earth materials. Within the last decades, the technique has been applied across an ever-widening range of sediments and materials. Micromorphology provides insight into sediments from various geological environments. Microstructures and the relationship of matrix (plasma) to skeleton grains offer an understanding of deposition, deformation, and postdepositional diagenesis. Examples from Germany and Antarctica illustrate the value of micromorphology providing a robust method for microstratigraphic interpretation. Micromorphology has proved invaluable in detecting toxic substances with sediments. Likewise, micromorphological examination of concrete has revealed new clues to processes of concrete ‘setting’ and diagenesis.