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They can be thought of as an underwater version of alluvial fans and can vary dramatically in size, with widths from several kilometres to several thousands of kilometres. [1] The largest is the Bengal Fan, followed by the Indus Fan, but major fans are also found at the outlet of the Amazon, Congo, Mississippi and elsewhere. [2] [3] [4]
Alluvial channels are much more common and can be large or small. All large rivers, and most small ones, have channels that are usually lined with alluvium, sediment that was carried to that channel reach by the river and that eventually will be carried farther downstream . [ 3 ]
Alluvial fans in Holden crater have toe-trimmed profiles attributed to fluvial erosion. [11] The few alluvial fans associated with tectonic processes include those at Coprates Chasma and Juventae Chasma, which are part of the Valles Marineris canyon system. These provide evidence of the existence and nature of faulting in this region of Mars.
Geomorphology (from Ancient Greek γῆ (gê) 'earth' μορφή (morphḗ) 'form' and λόγος 'study') [2] is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of topographic and bathymetric features generated by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or near Earth's surface.
A subaqueous fan is a fan-shaped deposit formed beneath water (similar to deltas or terrestrial alluvial fans), that is commonly related to glaciers [1] and crater lakes. [ 2 ] Subaqueous fan deposits are generally described as coarse to fine gravel and/or sand , with variable texture and sorting.
An alluvial fan could have been deposited and formed outside of a mountain range, however, thrusting of the mountain belt could cause the alluvial fan to become broken up by the new mountain forming. Thus, the alluvial fan would be split with the fan on either side of the new mountain range development and could change the steepness of the fan. [1]
The role of sheet flows in shaping landscapes, including the formation of alluvial fans and deltas. The distinction between fans built by channelized fluvial and sheet flows and their geomorphological significance is highlighted.
These fan-shaped deposits form by the deposition of sediment within a stream onto flat land at the base of a mountain. [1] The usage of the term in landscape description or geomorphology derives from the Spanish word bajada, generally having the sense of "descent" or "inclination". [2]