marl

Marl, city, Germany

Marl (märl), city (1994 pop. 92,590), North Rhine–Westphalia, W Germany. It is an industrial and mining (coal, lead, and zinc) center, and also supports a number of chemical factories. Now a modern city, Marl was first mentioned in the 9th cent. and was chartered in 1936.

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marl, type of soil

marl or bog lime, soil, essentially clay mixed with carbonate of lime, highly valued as a dressing or fertilizer. It crumbles rapidly and easily. Marl in which the lime is in the form of invertebrate shells is called shell marl. The term is loosely used for a variety of soils, some of which are low in lime content, e.g., the greensand marl of New Jersey. Marling of soil tends to lighten it, correct acidity, and promote nitrification.

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marl

Earthy mixture of fine-grained minerals, which range widely in composition. Lime (calcium carbonate) is present as shell fragments of snails and bivalves, or as powder mixed with clay and silica-containing silt. Large deposits contain 80–90% calcium carbonate and less than 3% magnesium carbonate. With decreasing amounts of lime, calcium-containing marls are called clays and clayey limestones. Marls rich in potash (potassium carbonate), called greensand marls, are used as water softeners. Marls have also been used in the manufacture of insulating material and portland cement, as liming material, and in making bricks.