Glacial outwash is a deposit of sand and gravel carried by meltwater from a glacier and laid down in stratified layers. Outwash plains, composed of these deposits, form in front of melting glaciers and are characterized by braided stream patterns. Studying glacial outwash provides insights into past glacial environments, sediment transport processes, and the interaction between glaciers and rivers.
Source Miall, A. D. (1970). A Review of the Geology of Glacial Outwash Plains. Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology.