Fine particles of earth and sand carried by moving water and deposited as sediment, typically smaller than sand but larger than clay particles. Silt is a major component of fertile river valley soils.
From Middle English, possibly from Danish 'sylt' or Norwegian 'syll,' both meaning 'salt marsh' or 'muddy ground.' The term evolved to describe the fine sedimentary particles that create such muddy conditions.
The Nile River's annual silt deposits created the fertile 'black land' that sustained ancient Egyptian civilization for thousands of years! Modern dams have interrupted this natural process, showing how human geography can dramatically alter the sediment patterns that shaped entire cultures and agricultural systems.
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