Gelisols
GELISOLS - Soils that commonly have a dark organic surface layer and mineral layers underlain by permafrost ( el root from the Latin word gelare for to freeze ). gelisolThese soils are commonly in the tundra regions of Alaska. A typical horizon sequence would be: A, Bw, Cf. The alternate thawing and freezing of ice layers results in special features in the soil, such as frost-heaving, deformed landscape or thermo-karst features. For many soils the slow decomposition of the organic matter due to cold temperatures results in the formation of a peat layer at the surface. The diagnostic feature is the presence of permafrost.