kiesige

Kiesige is a German adjective meaning gravelly or consisting largely of gravel. It describes textures, soils, or sediment layers that contain a substantial proportion of gravel particles, typically implying a coarse grain-size distribution where gravel dominates over finer sediments.

The word is formed from Kies, the German term for gravel, with the suffix -ig. In use, kiesig or kiesige is declined like a standard adjective: for example, eine kiesige Schicht (a gravelly layer), ein kiesiger Boden (a gravelly soil). The form kiesige appears in attributive position before feminine or plural nouns, while masculine or neuter forms may appear as kiesiger or kiesiges depending on the article and case.

In practical contexts, kiesige descriptions are common in geology, geomorphology, and soil science. They indicate environments or deposits with relatively high-energy transport conditions, such as river channels, alluvial fans, or glaciofluvial deposits, where pebble- to cobble-sized fragments are abundant. Kiesige layers can affect land use, construction, and drainage, due to their drainage characteristics and stability compared to finer sediments.

Related terms include Kies (gravel) and Kiesel (pebble), as well as the adjective kiesig/kiesig in various inflected forms. While kiesige is descriptive rather than a formal soil classification, it remains a concise way to convey gravel content in field notes and reports.