Symbol |
Sediment genesis |
Definition/description |
Code |
 |
Suspension deposit |
Fine-grained sediments (mainly clay and silt) transported by and deposited from suspension. |
200 |
 |
Glaciomarine deposit |
Mostly fine-grained sediments (clay and silt) deposited in the ocean
from suspension in the vicinity of glaciers. Can be influenced by bottom
currents. Occur in great thickness on the continental shelf, along the
coastline and in fjords. |
202 |
 |
Beach deposit |
Deposits reworked by waves and currents in the beach zone. The
material is often well rounded and sorted. Grain size varies from sand to
boulders, but sand and gravel are most common. Mapped where thicker than
0.5 m. |
42 |
 |
Tidal deposit |
Deposit formed in coastal area by tidal transport.
The sediments are sandy to clayey with typical structures such as sand dunes,
ripples, cross-bedding, flaser and lenticular bedding. |
207 |
 |
Shallow marine deposit |
Sediment deposited in turbulent shallow marine environment. Consists
of sand, gravel and cobbles. |
210 |
 |
Bedload (traction) deposit |
Sediment transported by and deposited from bottom currents. Consists
of sand and gravel. Bedload deposits may occur in submarine channels and
shallow marine areas, and has often characteristic cross-bedding and
lenticular bedding. |
201 |
 |
Contourite |
Sediment body deposited by a permanent ocean current (contour current)
along the continental margin. Consists of fine grained, well sorted
material (mainly clay and silt, but also sand). |
211 |
 |
Channel deposit |
Sediments deposited in a channel. Consist usually of coarse grained
particles (sand, gravel). |
215 |
 |
Submarine fan deposit | A conical or fan-shaped deposit located seaward of large
rivers and submarine. Consists primarily of fine sediments (clay, silt). The fan has a finely
laid inner structure with layers which slope slightly toward the deep ocean. |
214 |
 |
Fluvial delta deposit |
Sediments deposited at the mouth of a river into a fjord, lake or the sea.
Grain size is often in sand fraction near the outlet and more fine-grained in deeper water.
Typically layered sediments with dip in the direction of the current. |
206 |
 |
Glaciofluvial deposit |
Sediment transported and deposited by glacial meltwater streams. The sediment consists of sorted, often inclined beds of grain sizes varying from fine sand to cobbles and boulders. |
20 |
 |
Glaciofluvial delta deposit |
Sediments transported by glacial streams and deposited in the sea, in lakes or glacial lakes.
Grain size is often in sand fraction near the outlet and more fine-grained in deeper water.
|
205 |
 |
Till, unspecified |
Unsorted glacial sediment consisting of material ranging in size from
clay to boulders. |
10 |
 |
Till, continuous cover |
Unsorted glacial sediment consisting of material ranging in size from
clay to boulders. Locally of great thickness and with sporadic patches of
lag. |
11 |
 |
Till, discontinuous or thin cover over the bedrock |
Unsorted glacial sediment consisting of material ranging in size from
clay to boulders. Areas with sparse cover of till and frequent bare patches of bedrock. |
12 |
 |
Till with a thin cover of glacimarine sediments | Till with a thin cover (less than 1-2 m) of glacimarine sediments. |
230 |
 |
Till with a thin cover of fine-grained sediments | Till with a thin cover (less than 1-2 m) of fine-grained sediments (glacimarine sediments/suspension deposits/bedload deposits). |
231 |
 |
Terminal moraine |
Linear or slightly curved ridge of unconsolidated and unsorted debris
deposited at the front or the sides of a glacier. Locally, sorted
glacio-fluvial deposits may occur. |
15 |
 |
Ice contact deposit |
Sediments deposited in contact with ice. May consist of moraine, glacio-fluvial material, or a mixture of glacially deposited sediments. |
203 |
 |
Tunnel valley deposit |
Sediments deposited in a valley eroded by meltwater under ice cover. Sediments can be of different origins, e.g. subglacial deformation sediments, glacitectonites, glacifluvial or glacimarine sediments, or a mixture of these. |
221 |
 |
Colluvium, unspecified |
Sediments deposited by rockfalls and snow avalanches on steep valley slopes. Unspecified thickness. |
80 |
 |
Colluvium, continuous and/or thick |
Sediments deposited by rockfalls and snow avalanches on steep valley slopes. Locally of great thickness. |
81 |
 |
Colluvium, discontinuous and/or thin |
Thin and/or discontinuous cover of sediments deposited by rockfalls and snow avalanches on steep valley slopes. |
82 |
 |
Mass movement deposit, covered by younger sediments |
Mass movement deposit, covered by younger sediments. |
240 |
 |
Mass movement deposit, locally covered by younger sediments |
Mass movement deposit, locally covered by younger sediments. |
241 |
 |
Mass movement deposits and hemipelagic sediments |
Alternating mass movement deposits and hemipelagic deposits.
Hemipelagic deposits comprise mainly fine grained sediments, partly
locally derived from the water masses, and partly transported into the
area by currents. |
242 |
 |
Debris flow deposit |
Sediment deposited by a fast moving, liquefied landslide of
unconsolidated, saturated debris. Consists of material ranging in size
from clay to boulders. |
213 |
 |
Laminated sediments underlain by debris flow deposits |
Laminated sediments (>1m) underlaid by debris flow deposits. |
219 |
 |
Turbidity deposit |
A sediment deposited from a turbidity current. It is characterized by graded bedding, moderate sorting, and well developed primary structures in the sequence. |
212 |
 |
Bioclastic sediment |
Sediment consisting mostly of small particles og biogenic origin
(shell, coral). Grain size can vary from sand to whole shells and coral
reefs. |
217 |
 |
Marine gyttja |
Fine sediment formed from the partial decay of vegetable and animals rests, deposited in quiet bays. |
45 |
 |
Carbonate crust |
Occurrences of carbonate cemented sediments that form crusts on the seafloor, typically several decimeters thick. |
220 |
 |
Compacted sediments or sedimentary rocks |
Compacted sediments or sedimentary rocks. |
150 |
 |
Lag deposit |
Sediments consisting of sand, gravel and mineral fragments after the fine fractions have been washed away by waves and current. Makes up a lag with varying grain size covering tills or other sediments. |
204 |
 |
Exposed bedrock |
Areas without sediment cover. |
130 |
 |
Thin or discontinuous sediment cover on the bedrock |
Lateral variation of small basins with sediments, exposed bedrock
and/or bedrock with thin/discontinuous sediment cover. Sediments in small
basins may have varying grain size. |
140 |
 |
Anthropogenic material |
Masses accumulated or heavily impacted by human activity. |
120 |
 |
Unspecified marin deposit |
Marine deposit of unknown origin. |
250 |