Diamicton

Diamicton

In geology, diamicton (also diamict) is a very poorly sorted sediment. Large sedimentary grains gravel size and larger (>= 2 mm) are set in a matrix of fine grains.

The term diamicton is a nongenetic term, although a common origin for diamicton is by glacial activity. Sediment deposited by glaciers in moraines is characteristically very poorly sorted, showing great lateral and vertical variations in thickness, composition and texture. Once a glacial origin for a diamicton has been determined, it can be called drift or till. Other common sources of diamicton formation are both terrestrial and submarine slope processes, such as solifluction, landslides, debris flows or turbiditic olistostromes.

Lithified diamicton is referred to as diamictite.

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