Massachusetts Soil Evaluator Practice Test

In ice contact outwash, which may include areas of silt material?

Pockets or lenses of silt material Sand and gravel with no silt No silt or clay present Only clay layers present

Correct Answer:

Pockets or lenses of silt material

Explanation:

Ice contact outwash is formed by meltwater flowing in contact with glacier ice, so its main matrix is coarse, well-sorted sands and gravels. But the energy of deposition isn’t uniform, and finer materials can settle in quieter pockets, creating localized areas where silt accumulates. These pockets or lenses of silt within a predominantly coarse outwash layer are a common feature, reflecting the variable energy and flow conditions during deposition. So, the presence of silt is possible and makes sense in this setting, whereas saying there is no silt at all or that the deposit consists only of clay or exclusively coarse material doesn’t capture that natural variability.

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