What does Glacial drift parent material consist of?

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Glacial drift parent material is primarily composed of rocks and gravel pieces, which are remnants of the materials that glaciers transport as they move across the landscape. During glacial movements, various types of rock and sediment are eroded and picked up, forming a heterogeneous mixture of materials that can include boulders, cobbles, gravel, sand, silt, and clay.

This mix of rocks and gravel reflects the diverse geological landscape from which the glacier has originated, often leading to a wide variety of soil types as the glacial drift is deposited. For instance, when glaciers melt, they leave behind this material in the form of till, which is characterized by its unsorted nature, containing particles of varying sizes all mixed together.

Other options, while mentioning components that are found in soil, do not accurately describe glacial drift. For example, wind-blown materials are related to processes like aeolian deposition rather than glacial movement, and weathered bedrock pertains to in-situ rock alteration rather than transported material.

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