To understand the name, it helps to understand the process of erosion. Mountains are in a constant state of weathering and erosion. Rain carries rocks, sand, and silt down the slopes and canyons where they are deposited at the bottom. An alluvial fan - a fan-shaped area of sediment - can form at the bottom of a canyon on the flat ground below it. With multiple canyons, multiple fans are created that overlap and blend together.
Over a long period of time, an alluvial plain can form over a broad flatland from sediment carried down from higher ground. A plain spreads out farther from the bottom of the mountains than the alluvial fans. The sand and silt deposited as sediment in an alluvial plain is called alluvium.
Our new home is in an alluvial plain, filled with good quality soil that has plenty of sand in it. This is great for gardening, unlike the lower region of Tucson where caliche - a hardened layer with lots of clay in it - can make it difficult to dig without heavy equipment and can prevent good water drainage. We've dug as deep as 18" here so far without hitting caliche, and hope that our alluvium, with the addition of some homemade compost, will provide fertile ground for our garden.
9 comments:
Lucky!!!
we have a mixed bag on our five acres; some soil is good and rich black pine needle stuff and just five feet over is solid caliche.
Congratulations! What a wonderful name and very unique...I love it...and, of course, I would love for you to send me some of that alluvium, but will understand if it's only virtual...have a great day...and, come visit when you can...
A little more tea, please. S'kinda hot out here. Are these kiwis, growing over the ramada?
Hmmm... I should give my place a name... Dog Shit Ranch . Actually my house and yard has always been known as Rancho Flamingo
DC - well, we looked for a long time so I don't consider it entirely luck. The fact that this property was in our price range - now, that was lucky.
Spotty Dog Farm - we haven't dug everywhere yet, so there's still a chance we'll hit caliche. However, since there is a wash cutting right through the property, and we know it floods across the property (in sheets), I think we'll keep getting new alluvium.
Sharlene - thanks! Um, no, we won't be shipping off any of our soil, thank you very much.
Risa - tea? That's a good idea. I need to start making sun tea! Hot, yes. Kiwis may yet grow on a trellis we're considering to shade the south side of the house. Or grapes. Or luffas.
Rob - LOL! I hope to start diggin' the hole for the doggie dooley system soon. Man, it's gonna have to be a DEEP hole as much as these two go...
alluvial is my most favoritist word in the whole entire world. i approve :)
Great name! I loved learning about alluvial fans back in college geology. Does that comment make me officially old yet?
It is a pretty cool word!
Katie - me, too, but I think I'm a bit older than you so my answer would be "no, learning about alluvial fans in college doesn't make you old." Time makes you old. ;-)
Post a Comment