Diamicton

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Diamicton (also diamict) is sediment that consists of a wide range of nonsorted to poorly sorted terrigenous sediment, i.e. sand or larger size particles that are suspended in a mud matrix.[1][2] Some Earth scientists restrict the usage of this term to poorly or non-sorted sediment, which contains sparse terrigenous gravel suspended in either a mud or sand matrix.[3] Lithified diamicton is referred to as diamictite.[2][3]

The term diamicton was proposed by Flint and others[4] as a purely descriptive term for poorly sorted sediment that contains a wide range of particle sizes. As proposed, this term avoids any reference to either a specific origin or depositional environment. Although the term diamicton is typically used for poorly sorted glacial deposits, it is actually a non-genetic term that is applied to unlithified, nonsorted or poorly sorted terrigenous sediment that contains either a wide range of particle sizes or gravel suspended in a mud matrix of a variety of nonglacial origins. Other processes that create diamictons are solifluction, landslides, debris flows, or turbiditic olistostromes.[2][3]

References

  1. ↑ Jackson, J.A., J. Mehl, and K. Neuendorf (2005) Glossary of Geology American Geological Institute, Alexandria, Virginia. 800 pp. ISBN 0-922152-76-4
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Bennett, M.R., and N.F. Glasser (2009) Glacial Geology: Ice Sheets and Landforms, 2nd Ed. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., New York, New York. 400 pp. ISBN 978-0470516911
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Tucker, M.E. (2003) Sedimentary Rocks in the Field John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., New York, New York. 244 pp. ISBN 978-0470851234
  4. ↑ Flint, R.F., J.E. Sanders, and J. Rodgers (1960) Diamictite, a substitute term for symmictite Geological Society of America Bulletin. 71(12):1809–1810.

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