loess
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈləs/
- Specialized
:
loess
- When a handful of dry loess is crumbled, it reverts to a fluffy powder easily carried by swirling air currents.
- loess plateau
- Loess Plateau of China
- arid loess
Examples
-
The Nihewan Basin is located at the northeastern edge of China's great loess plateau.
Academic text (1994) -
Although it contains very little organic matter, its high mineral content makes loess very fertile when properly cultivated.
Academic text (1992) -
When saturated with water, however, the loess becomes unstable and may suddenly collapse.
Academic text (1992) -
But because it is loosely packed, loess is extremely vulnerable to erosion.
Academic text (1992) -
This was found in a loess deposit in a terrace about 30 meters from the Shannon River.
-
Nevertheless, cultivation of the loess plateau continues.
Academic text (1992) -
Dirt is a simple thing, and reliable, and the simplest, finest dirt is loess.
Fiction book (2002) -
In the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China, desertification presents a serious threat.
Academic text (2008) -
The valley's silty soil, or loess, was deposited by wind, not by the flooding.
-
Although it contains very little organic matter, its high mineral content makes loess very fertile when properly cultivated.
How Fertile
Surface Forms
Etymology
Loess comes from a German word that meant 'loose' and shares the same root as the English word loose. So loess is a fine, wind-blown mix of silt and clay that is 'loose' and often makes very fertile soil.