Duricrusts have contributed valuable insight to the evolving field of regolith science over the past two centuries. These mineral-rich layers occur in diverse settings, from hilltops to valley floors, and are thought to form through two main processes. In 2025, we introduced the first numerical model for the hydrological hypothesis; now, we present a complementary model based on laterisation. This framework simulates both the development of duricrusts and their impact on landscape evolution.

We have developed a new numerical model to represent the formation of duricrusts, which are hard mineral layers found in soils and at the surface of the Earth. We assume that the formation mechanism implies variations in the height of the water table and that the hardening rate is proportional to precipitation. The model allows us to quantify the potential feedbacks they generate on the surface topography and the thickness of the regolith/soil layer.