Question

______________, once the sediment stops being transported, you have a bunch of pieces of sediment in one place. A pile of sand is an example; you might find such a pile at a sandbar along the edge of a river.

A Erosion
B Transport
C Deposition

Answer 1

Deposition is the geological process in which sediment stops being transported and is laid down, forming sedimentary structures like sandbars; observable examples include the Upper Mississippi River.

Step-by-step explanation:

The geological process being described is known as deposition, which falls under the category of sedimentary processes. Deposition occurs when sediment transport stops and materials such as gravel, sand, silt, or clay are laid down in a new location. This process is crucial for the formation of sedimentary structures like sandbars, river deltas, and other features in various depositional environments, including continental, marine, and transitional areas. Graded bedding is one example of a sedimentary structure where sediments are sorted by size, with the coarser particles at the bottom and finer particles towards the top, indicating a decrease in transport energy over time.

One of the noteworthy examples of deposition can be observed along the Upper Mississippi River, where sediment deposited by the river creates sandbars containing a mix of sediment types, commonly red due to oxidation. In marine environments, different types of sediment like sand, silt, clay, and limestone are deposited at varying distances from the shore, often forming continuous, gradational layers. These processes are vital in shaping the Earth's surface, contributing to the landscape we see today.