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The origin and production of silt are key factors in the formation of loess deposits. Although many processes can potentially lead to silt generation, few are known to produce silt in the volumes and particle-size modes required to form geologically significant loess deposits. Here we investigate the hypothesis that pedogenic weathering in tropical and Mediterranean climates can generate abundant in situ silt, and therefore contribute significantly to loess formation throughout geologic time. We utilize granulometric and geochemical data from soils formed in Puerto Rico (hot-humid) and Southern California (hot-arid) to discern whether the mud fraction (