| alluvial fan n. A fan-shaped accumulation of alluvium deposited at the mouth of a ravine or at the juncture of a tributary stream with the main stream. |
alluvial fan, cone
n
(Earth Sciences / Geological Science) a fan-shaped accumulation of silt, sand, gravel, and boulders deposited by fast-flowing mountain rivers when they reach flatter land
alluvial fan ( -l  v -l) A fan-shaped mass of sediment, especially silt, sand, gravel, and boulders, deposited by a river when its flow is suddenly slowed. Alluvial fans typically form where a river pours out from a steep valley through mountains onto a flat plain. Unlike deltas, they are not deposited into a body of standing water. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. | alluvial fan - a fan-shaped deposit where a fast flowing stream flattens out geological phenomenon - a natural phenomenon involving the structure or composition of the earth |
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