Terminology of mixed coarse-fine sediments

Abstract

Abstract Existing terminology for megaclastic sediments produced by glacier ice (tillite), by ice-rafting (glaciomarine) or by sliding and gravity flow (tilloid) is confusing and inadequate. Such rocks have in common a mixed, ill-sorted, disperse-megaclastic lithology with a great to extreme range of size grades. The term 'aquatillite' is proposed for glaciomarine and glaciolacustrine till-like deposits. The term 'mixtite' is proposed as a descriptive group name without regard to origin, including tillite, aquatillite, tilloid and similar rocks produced by other processes. Mixtite takes its place alongside the rudite-arenite-lutite sequence, spreading over the entire grade range.