Which process governs sediment sorting during alluvial fan deposition in arid climates?

💡 Explanation

When stream flow diverges across an alluvial fan, a progressive loss of carrying capacity occurs because channel depth decreases and frictional resistance increases, sorting sediment by size as heavier particles deposit first. Therefore carrying capacity dictates the outcome, and not dissolution, deflation, or flocculation, which depend on solution chemistry, wind, or electrostatic properties.

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