A geological formation consisting of heavy clay soil, typically blue or gray in color and dating from the Cretaceous period. Found primarily in southeastern England.
From Middle English, possibly from Old English 'gealla' meaning clay or mud. The geological term was formalized in the 19th century when studying rock formations in Kent and Surrey, England.
Gault clay is both a blessing and a curse for builders - it's incredibly fertile for farming but notorious for causing foundation problems because it expands and contracts dramatically with moisture changes. Many English villages sitting on gault have had to develop special building techniques to cope with this 'moving' earth.
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