Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
An avalanche of granular solids deposits grains once its snout is arrested at the base of the surface of avalanching. During deposition the avalanche behaves as a settling column of dispersed particles; the surface of deposition within the column is marked by a distinct shadow, or continuity wave, which swiftly climbs the sliding mass. Empirically, the high intensities of deposition expected from avalanches behaving in this manner correspond to degrees of packing in the deposits that are very nearly the loosest possible for natural materials. This appears to explain why cross‐stratified sediments have low strengths and are readily deformed.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
J. R. L. Allen (1972) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: