noun
- A soil-forming process in which waterlogging and poor drainage cause the accumulation of organic matter and the reduction of iron compounds, resulting in a gray or blue-gray colored soil layer.
Usage: technical; soil science
Examples
- Gleization occurs in wetlands and poorly drained areas where water saturation limits oxygen availability.
- The gleization process creates characteristic gray mottled patterns in soil profiles.
- Heavy rainfall in the region accelerated gleization in the low-lying fields.
- Soil scientists study gleization to understand how environmental conditions affect soil development.