📖 what

What is loess?

GeologySediment

Quick Answer

Loess is a blanket of fine silt-sized sediment blown by wind and deposited on land. It is often very fertile but can also be highly erosion-prone.

The Full Story

Loess deposits are usually made of tiny quartz-rich particles that were originally ground by glaciers or other rock-breaking processes and then carried by wind. Thick loess plains occur in places such as China, the U.S. Midwest, and parts of Europe. Because loess is loose and porous, it can support productive soils, but it may also collapse or erode easily when disturbed. Some of the world’s most important agricultural regions sit on loess-derived soils.

Key Facts

1.made mostly of silt-sized particles
2.common in China and the U.S. Midwest
3.can form very fertile soils

YouTube Angle

Suggested video title for this topic:

"The dust that helped build some of the world’s best farmland"