1. A layer of soil or rock material formed by the weathering and decomposition of bedrock in place, without significant transport or relocation.
Usage: geology; technical

Examples

• The eluvium at the site consisted of decomposed granite and clay.
• Geologists studied the eluvium to understand the local weathering patterns.
• Unlike alluvium, eluvium remains in its original location above the parent rock.
• The thick eluvium layer indicated centuries of chemical weathering.
• Mining engineers examined the eluvium before drilling into the bedrock below.