aggradation

noun

ag·​gra·​da·​tion ˌa-grə-ˈdā-shən 

: a modification of the earth's surface in the direction of uniformity of grade by deposition

aggradational

ˌa-grə-ˈdā-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Examples of aggradation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Number one is aggradation of the channel bed, and number two, a mega flood. —Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com, 12 Dec. 2017

Word History

Etymology

aggrade "to fill with detrital material, build up by aggradation" (from ad- + -grade, as in degrade) + -ation (after degradation)

Note: Aggrade and aggradation were apparently introduced by the geologist Rollin D. Salisbury in Surface Geology: Report of Progress, from the Annual Report of the State Geologist for 1892, Trenton, N.J.: Geological Survey of New Jersey, 1893, p. 103.

First Known Use

1898, in the meaning defined above