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Topic 10: Deposition

Deposition: (Sedimentation) the process by which transported (eroded) material are left in a

new location.

1. Deposition: Running Water (Sorted, Layered, Organized)

A. Running Water:

1. Deposition by running water occurs when the stream velocity decreases.

a.) When a stream enters a larger body of water (Lake, Ocean)

b.) Inside bend of a meander (curve)

c.) When the slope flattens out

d.) When the discharge “volume” decreases

B. Factors Affecting Deposition of Sediments in Water

1. Particle Size:

2. Shape:

3. Density:

4.

C. Patterns of Deposition

1. Vertical Sorting: produces graded beds which show how the velocity

of a stream changed over time.

a. Landslide falls into large body of water

b. Organization happens from bottom to top

2. Graded Bedding

a. Landslides happen over and over

b. Series of Vertical Sorting stacked up

3. Horizontal Sorting: produced when rivers/streams enter a large body of

water such as an ocean or lake and the velocity decreases. (Carrying power

drops)

a. Largest, roundest, densest settle first

b. Smallest, flattest, least dense settle last

c. Deltas form when sediment deposited at the mouth of rivers.

(triangle shape feature forms at the mouth of a river)

2. Deposition: Glaciers (Unsorted, Unlayered, Unorganized)

a. Glaciers move just like water, but slower. (Faster in the middle, below surface)

Velocity dependent on the slope.

b. Two types of Glaciers:

1. Alpine Glaciers: found in High Elevations; carve U-shaped valleys

2. Continental Glaciers: cover huge areas

Found in Greenland/Antarctica

c. Zones of a Glacier

1. Zone of Accumulation: Advancing Glacier: the upper part of a

glacier where more snow falls than melts.

2. Zone of Melting: Retreating Glacier: the lower part of a glacier where

the rate of snowmelt is greater than that of snow fall .

d. Glacial Features:

1. Striations: (parallel scratches, grooves) Glaciers pick up sediment and the

sediment carves grooves into bedrock. Striations show the direction of Ice

Flow. In NYS flow is North to South direction

2. Moraines (Till): deposits of UNSORTED , UNlayered sediment

a. Lateral Moraines: deposits on the side of a glacier

b. Terminal Moraine: deposits at the end of the glacier. (Long Island

formed from a terminal moraines

3. Drumlins: Tear-drop shaped hills (unsorted, unlayered) sediment. Show direction

of Ice Flow. In NYS the tip points South.

4. Outwash Plain: Sediment deposited by meltwater of glacier (sorted, layered). Flat

area of sorted sediment found at the end of a glacier. South Shore of Long Island.

5. Kettle/Kettle Lakes: steep-sided hole that forms when a block of glacial ice melts

6. Erratic: Boulder

7. Finger Lakes: ESRT pg 3

KEY TERMS

DRUMLIN U- SHAPED

KETTLE LAKE OUTWASH PLAIN

MORAINE ESKER

STRIATIONS ERRATIC

CREVASSE

3. Deposition: Wind: (Sorted, Layered, Organized)

1. Smaller sediments (sand sized or smaller)

2. Sand dunes

3. Crossbedding (wind changes direction)

4. Deposition: Oceans

a. Waves are the reason for changing shoreline

b. Longshore Drift: Currents (Movement of Water) that travel parallel to the shore line

and carry sediment to the beach.

c. Man-Made Structures (Jetty, Groyne and Breakwater): Reduce Erosion and

stimulate deposition.

Depositional Features:

Spit: Narrow Sandbar (acts like a finger). Shows wave direction

Barrier Island: Islands of narrow sand that protect shoreline

DEPOSITION

Agent Sorting Size after erosion Shape Texture Landscape (features)

Gravity

UNsorted

Smaller→unchanged

Sharp & angular

Coarse

Talus slope

Running

Water

Sorted

Smaller

Rounds

Smooth

Sandbars

Glaciers

UNsorted

Smaller→unchanged

Sharp & angular

Scratched

and polished

Drumlins Striations Moraines

Kettle Lakes (see notes)

Wind

Sorted

Smaller

Rounds

Pitted & frosted

Mushroom Rocks

Sand Dunes

Ocean

Sorted

Smaller

Rounds

Smooth

Sand dunes Barrier islands Spits

G’s W’s

Gravity Glaciers

Wind Water (Running) Waves (Oceans)

UNsorted UNlayered

Sorted Layered

Characteristics

AGE (does not refer to years, it refers to ability to cut through bedrock)

YOUTHFUL MATURE OLD

EXAMPLE

Colorado R. through Grand Canyon

Hudson R

Mississippi R

SLOPE

Steep

gentle

Almost flat

VELOCITY

HIGH

Medium

Low

PARTICLE TYPE

All sizes

Sm. Pebbles

Clay & silt

TYPE OF CUTTING

Down

Side

None

VALLEY SHAPE

Steep canyons

Flat

Flat

MEANDERS

None

Some

A lot

FLOODPLAIN

None

Some

A lot

SPECIAL

CHARACTERISTICS

Rapids Waterfalls

NONE

Sand bars Oxbow Lakes

OXBOW LAKES