red clay

views updated May 08 2018

red clay (brown clay) Brown or red, very fine-grained, deep-sea deposit composed of finely divided clay material that is derived from the land, transported by winds and ocean currents, and deposited far from land in the deepest parts of the ocean basin, especially in mid-latitudes. Red-clay deposits cover about a quarter of the Atlantic and Indian ocean floors and almost half the Pacific ocean floor.

red clay

views updated May 14 2018

red clay(brown clay) A brown or red, very fine-grained, deep-sea deposit composed of finely divided clay material that is derived from the land, transported by winds and ocean currents, and deposited far from land in the deepest parts of the ocean basin, especially in mid-latitudes. Red-clay deposits cover about a quarter of the Atlantic and Indian ocean floors and almost half the Pacific ocean floor.