Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles. For example, sand and silt can be carried in suspension in river water and on reaching the sea bed deposited by sedimentation; if buried, they may eventually become sandstone and siltstone through lithification.
River discharging sediment into the ocean
Sediment in the Gulf of Mexico
Sediment off the Yucatán Peninsula
Sediment builds up on human-made breakwaters because they reduce the speed of water flow, so the stream cannot carry as much sediment load.
A loess is a clastic, predominantly silt-sized sediment that is formed by the accumulation of wind-blown dust. Ten percent of Earth's land area is covered by loesses or similar deposits.
Loess in Vicksburg, Mississippi, United States
Loess near Hunyuan, Datong, Shanxi, China
Loess from the Rhine lowlands near Mannheim with calcareous concretions
Medicinal clay produced by Luvos. The clay is composed of loess with a fineness grade of 1.