An outwash plain is a flat area of sand and gravel, found in front of a terminal moraine.
Glacial stream Formation
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As the ice sheet melts, huge amounts of meltwater flow out of it.
The water flushes large quantities of sand and gravel onto the lowland beyond the front of the ice.
As the meltwater loses energy, it deposits the heaviest material first, followed by the lighter material.
Example: The Curragh, Co. Kildare, seen in the image below, is an outwash plain.
Terminal moraine Outwash plain
1. Name one feature of meltwater deposition. (a) Name one example of that feature. (b) Draw a labelled diagram of that feature. (c) Explain how that feature was formed.
