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

Illustration of alluvial fan

Illustration of alluvial fan

Examples of alluvial fan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Some of the same natural features that visitors drive out to see — such as desert canyons and alluvial fans — were formed during flood events, National Park Service officials wrote online. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2023 The ginkgo leaf shapes of alluvial fans spread at mountains’ feet. Maggie Shipstead Anthony Cotsifas, New York Times, 10 May 2023 It’s meant to protect the plants and animals in the unique alluvial fan sage scrublands, where white sage is a keystone plant, critical for the survival of other species. Jeanette Marantosstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2022 In a new study, scientists have for the first time produced a detailed map of one of these paleovalleys, located on the Kings River alluvial fan between Fresno and Selma. Ian Jamesstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2022 Perched on a broad alluvial fan dotted with rabbitbrush and Joshua trees, this ragtag community of artists, misanthropes and urban refugees has little time for politicians. Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2022 According to the California Department of Water Resources, the state experiences many types of flooding, including alluvial fan, riverine, coastal, flash, and localized floods, as well as debris flows and tsunamis. Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2022 Three years in the making, Xigera Safari Lodge is located at the very center of this alluvial fan, on the western edge of the Moremi Game Reserve. Jane Broughton, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2021 The upper, hillside section of the vineyard, formed on a well-draining alluvial fan, is the fire element, producing harder, more intense wines. Esther Mobley, SFChronicle.com, 21 Nov. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'alluvial fan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of alluvial fan was in 1862

Dictionary Entries Near alluvial fan

Cite this Entry

“Alluvial fan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alluvial%20fan. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

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