Földtömb

Földtömb is a Hungarian term that denotes a contiguous body of earth, soil, or rock that forms a distinct mass within a geological, geomorphological, or engineering context. The boundaries of a földtömb are defined by changes in material, stratigraphy, or by artificial limits such as excavation faces, embankment edges, or spoil heaps.

In geology and geomorphology, földtömbs occur as natural blocks detached from surrounding material. They can be blocks left behind after erosion, landslides, or other sedimentary and tectonic processes, as well as discrete units within alluvial or glacial deposits. They are described and mapped as units with specific lithology, grain size, weathering state, and moisture characteristics.

In civil engineering and mining, the term is used for volumes of earth that are excavated, moved, or placed as fill. A földtömb may refer to a cut or fill volume whose stability, settlement behavior, drainage, and bearing capacity are important for project design and safety. The concept emphasizes the mass as a single entity rather than its individual layers.

Measurement and properties often include volume (cubic meters), density, moisture content, shear strength, and internal cohesion. Classification varies by discipline, with engineers focusing on geotechnical behavior and geologists on lithology and formation history.

Földtömb is thus a flexible term describing a physical, contiguous mass of earth that can be natural or man-made and whose boundaries and properties depend on the context of study or work.