Illustration of alluvial fan
alluvial fan
noun
: the alluvial deposit of a stream where it issues from a gorge upon a plain or of a tributary stream at its junction with the main stream
Examples of alluvial fan in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To Kalon Vineyard sits on an alluvial fan on the western side of Oakville.
—
Tom Hyland, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Its surface is stamped with ocean and sea basins and etched with ancient riverbeds, deltas, and alluvial fans.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025
Using a helicopter equipped with a ground-penetrating electromagnetic imaging system, scientists have scanned up to 1,000 feet underground to map optimal areas for recharging aquifers — including channels left by ancient rivers that lie hidden beneath alluvial fans in the valley.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024
The Alluvium Vineyard is an alluvial fan, spreading out from an old sedimentary riverbed in the shape of a broad triangle.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 27 Oct. 2024
The ginkgo leaf shapes of alluvial fans spread at mountains’ feet.
—Maggie Shipstead Anthony Cotsifas, New York Times, 10 May 2023
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Tom Hyland, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Its surface is stamped with ocean and sea basins and etched with ancient riverbeds, deltas, and alluvial fans.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025
Using a helicopter equipped with a ground-penetrating electromagnetic imaging system, scientists have scanned up to 1,000 feet underground to map optimal areas for recharging aquifers — including channels left by ancient rivers that lie hidden beneath alluvial fans in the valley.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024
The Alluvium Vineyard is an alluvial fan, spreading out from an old sedimentary riverbed in the shape of a broad triangle.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 27 Oct. 2024
The ginkgo leaf shapes of alluvial fans spread at mountains’ feet.
—Maggie Shipstead Anthony Cotsifas, New York Times, 10 May 2023
Cite this Entry
“Alluvial fan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alluvial%20fan. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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