outwash | geology and hydrology - Encyclopedia Britannica

outwash, deposit of sand and gravel carried by running water from the melting ice of a glacier and laid down in stratified deposits. An outwash may attain a ... outwash TableofContents outwash Introduction FastFacts Facts&RelatedContent More MoreArticlesOnThisTopic Contributors ArticleHistory Home Geography&Travel PhysicalGeographyofLand outwash geologyandhydrology Actions Cite verifiedCite Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetofollowcitationstylerules,theremaybesomediscrepancies. Pleaserefertotheappropriatestylemanualorothersourcesifyouhaveanyquestions. SelectCitationStyle MLA APA ChicagoManualofStyle CopyCitation Share Share Sharetosocialmedia Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/science/outwash GiveFeedback Feedback Corrections?Updates?Omissions?Letusknowifyouhavesuggestionstoimprovethisarticle(requireslogin). FeedbackType Selectatype(Required) FactualCorrection Spelling/GrammarCorrection LinkCorrection AdditionalInformation Other YourFeedback SubmitFeedback Thankyouforyourfeedback Oureditorswillreviewwhatyou’vesubmittedanddeterminewhethertorevisethearticle. JoinBritannica'sPublishingPartnerProgramandourcommunityofexpertstogainaglobalaudienceforyourwork! ExternalWebsites Print Cite verifiedCite Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetofollowcitationstylerules,theremaybesomediscrepancies. Pleaserefertotheappropriatestylemanualorothersourcesifyouhaveanyquestions. SelectCitationStyle MLA APA ChicagoManualofStyle CopyCitation Share Share Sharetosocialmedia Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/science/outwash Feedback Alternatetitles:glacialoutwash,glaciofluvialdeposit,meltwaterdeposit By TheEditorsofEncyclopaediaBritannica • EditHistory TableofContents RelatedTopics: kettle esker kame valleytrain rockflour ...(Showmore) Seeallrelatedcontent→ outwash,depositofsandandgravelcarriedbyrunningwaterfromthemeltingiceofaglacierandlaiddowninstratifieddeposits.Anoutwashmayattainathicknessof100m(328feet)attheedgeofaglacier,althoughthethicknessisusuallymuchless;itmayalsoextendmanykilometresinlength.Forexample,outwashdepositsfromtheWisconsinGlaciationcanbetracedtothemouthoftheMississippiRiver,1,120km(700miles)fromthenearestglacialterminus. Thesheetofoutwashmaybepittedwithundrainedkettlesordissectedbypostglacialstreams.Outwashplainsarecommonlycross-beddedwithunitsofalternatinggrainsize.Theordinarilygentleslopecausesthelargermaterialtobedroppednearesttheglacier,whilethesmallergrainsizesarespreadovergreaterdistances.Striatedpebblesareuncommonbecausethestriationsarewornawayduringtransport.Outwashesarethelargestofthefluvioglacialdepositsandprovideaconsiderablesourceofwindblownmaterial.Whenconfinedwithinvalleywalls,theoutwashdepositisknownasavalleytrain. ReadMoreonThisTopic glaciallandform:Glacialdeposition Meltwaterdeposits,alsocalledglacialoutwash,areformedinchannelsdirectlybeneaththeglacierorinlakesandstreams...