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loess
Nonstratified sediment composed of silt-sized particles, mainly of quartz, feldspar, and calcite, deposited by the wind. These windblown dust deposits, up to 50 meters thick, were derived from glacial materials. Loess is extremely porous, forms highly fertile topsoil (often chernozem), and is able to stand intact in cliffs.
Related category
• GEOLOGY AND PLANETARY SCIENCESource: U.S. Geological Survey
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