boulder clay

American  

noun

Geology.

1. a glacial deposit consisting chiefly of unstratified clay with embedded boulders.

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boulder clay British  

noun

1. an unstratified glacial deposit consisting of fine clay, boulders, and pebbles See also till 4

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Etymology

Origin of boulder clay

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

boulder clay

Happisburgh, home to about 1,100 people, is so susceptible to erosion because the cliffs are made from boulder clay which slumps when wet.

From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2022

Farther east where the two tracks of the New York and New England railroads converge, a cut shows a section of at least 40 feet of boulder clay.

From Drainage Modifications and Glaciation in the Danbury Region Connecticut State of Connecticut State Geological and Natural History Survey Bulletin No. 30 by Sawyer-Harvey, Ruth

The deposits immediately preceding the Forest-Bed would also be contemporaneous with the lower continental boulder clay.

From The History of the European Fauna by Scharff, Robert Francis

These are properly parts of the Croton River system, but Andrew Pond has been held back by the deep filling of boulder clay in the valley.

From Drainage Modifications and Glaciation in the Danbury Region Connecticut State of Connecticut State Geological and Natural History Survey Bulletin No. 30 by Sawyer-Harvey, Ruth

The stones in our boulder clay are polished and scratched in a way glaciers are known to polish and scratch the stones they carry along, and rub against the rocks and other stones.

From The Geological Story of the Isle of Wight by Hughes, J. Cecil