Tepetate Explained

Tepetate (Spanish tepetate; Nahuatl tepetlatl) is a Mexican term for a geological horizon, hardened by compaction or cementation, found in Mexican volcanic regions.^[1] Tepetates at the surface are problematic for agriculture, because of their hardness, poor drainage, and poor fertility. When tepetates lie under the soil, they present a risk for erosion and landslides, because water runs off laterally, rather than being absorbed.

See also

• Caliche (mineral)

References

• Williams, Barbara J. . 1972 . Tepetate in the Valley of Mexico . Annals of the Association of American Geographers . 62 . 4 . 618 - 626 . 10.1111/j.1467-8306.1972.tb00890.x.

Notes and References

1. Gama-Castro, Jorge. Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana . 59 . 1 . 133–145 . 2007 . Los tepetates y su dinámica sobre la degradación y el riesgo ambiental: el caso del Glacis de Buenavista, Morelos . Spanish . etal. 10.18268/BSGM2007v59n1a11. free .