Question

Define the term alluvium.

Answer 1

Hint: Soil is a thin layer of material generated by the weathering of rocks that covers the earth's surface. Mineral particles, organic materials, air, water, and live beings make up the majority of it, all of which interact slowly but continually.

Complete answer:
The alluvium is a loose soil or sediment that forms as a result of precipitation erosion. It is often made up of microscopic silt and clay particles, as well as bigger sand and gravel particles. It can be found in the northern plains from Punjab to West Bengal and Assam, as well as in peninsular India's Krishna, Godavari, Cauvery, and Mahanadi deltas.

The alluvium is river-deposited sediment. It is normally most developed in the bottom portion of a river's course, generating floodplains and deltas, although it can be deposited anywhere where a river overflows its banks or if the river's velocity is reduced, such as where it flows into a lake.

The alluvium is made up of silt, sand, clay, and gravel, and it frequently contains biological stuff. As a result, soils in the Mississippi, Nile, Ganges, and Brahmaputra rivers' deltas, as well as the Huang rivers' deltas, are extremely fertile.

Alluvial deposits in some areas contain gold, platinum, or diamonds, as well as the majority of the world's tin ore supply (cassiterite). Because alluvial soil is found in river basins and is generated when streams and rivers reduce their velocity, it is also known as riverine soil.

Note: This soil gets deposited on the river banks when the river overflows on it. On the basis of age, alluvial soil can be divided into two categories: khadar and bhangar. The former has a pale colour and is composed of newer deposits. The latter is the older alluvium, which is made up of lime nodules or kanker and has a clayey composition.