Meaning in geology & earth sciences, with examples
/ˌdepəˈzɪʃən/nounCore term
In geology & earth sciences, deposition means: The process by which sediment carried by water, wind or ice is dropped and builds up, for example when a river slows down.
In Turkish: çökelme, çökelim, birikme
How it is used
Often paired with erosion: 'erosion on the outside of the bend, deposition on the inside'. The verb is deposit and the adjective depositional, as in 'depositional environment', a very common phrase in sedimentology.
Example sentences
Deposition happens where the current slows down, for example at the mouth of a river.
These sandstones record deposition in an ancient desert.
Common collocations
erosion and deposition
rate of deposition
depositional environment
deposition of sediment
Related terms
sedimentLoose particles such as sand, mud, gravel, shells or plant matter that are carried by water, wind or ice and settle in a new place.
erosionThe removal of soil and rock fragments from one place and their transport to another by water, wind, ice or gravity.
deltaA flat, often fan-shaped area of land built from sediment that a river deposits where it slows down on entering a sea or lake.
sedimentary rockRock formed when sediment such as sand, mud or shells is laid down in layers, then buried, pressed together and cemented over time.
