Regolith

Regolith ( ancient Greek ῥῆγμα Regma "break", λἰθος lithos "stone" ) is in geomorphology a blanket of loose material, which has been formed by physical and chemical weathering on the underlying unweathered starting material.

The definition is slightly different. Some researchers refer to saprolite even with one, others do not. Also possibly overlying younger layers are expected to regolith. The term is not only used for weathering ceiling on the earth, but also for the physically weathered primarily unconsolidated sediments on the surface of other celestial bodies (eg lunar regolith or Marsregolith ).