Weggespült

Weggespült is the past participle of the German verb weggspülen, used as an attributive adjective to describe material that has been washed away or removed by flowing water. The term is common in geology, hydrology, soil science and archaeology to characterize processes and their consequences.

In geomorphology and hydrology, weggespült describes sediment or soil that has been entrained and transported by moving water, typically a river, flood, or surface runoff. This erosion can affect riverbanks, hillslopes and floodplains, leading to loss of topsoil, changes in landforms, and downstream sedimentation. Entrainment depends on factors such as water velocity, sediment size, and surface roughness.

In agriculture and soil science, weggespült refers to the removal of productive topsoil by rainfall impact and surface runoff. Severe erosion can reduce soil fertility, increase present and future flood risk, and necessitate soil conservation measures such as vegetation cover, terracing, or reduced tillage.

In archaeology, weggespült describes the disturbance of stratigraphy by water action. When layers or artifacts are transported or eroded away, the original context can be lost, complicating dating and interpretation of sites. Surfaces that appear weggespült may yield artifacts that originated elsewhere or from older deposition events.

See also: erosion, fluvial processes, sediment transport, soil conservation, stratigraphy.