overbank deposits
Floodplain sediment layers
Overbank deposits are sediments left behind when a river floods beyond its banks.
As floodwaters spread across the surrounding plain and slow down, suspended silt and clay settle out, gradually building up layers of fine-grained soil.
These deposits create the fertile floodplains that have supported agriculture throughout human history.
- floodplainFlood-prone riverside lowland
- flood stageCritical water level marker
- sedimentParticles settling in liquid
- alluvialDeposited by moving water
- alluvial fanFan-shaped sediment deposit
silt · river · levee · muddy · fertile · inundation · channel · meander · clay · flooding · spillover · bottomland · layers · stratigraphy · wetland · lowland · seasonal · fine-grained
- river depositsalluvium, silt, gravel bar, river sand, sediment layers