Silt is
granular material of a size somewhere between
sand and
clay, whose mineral origin is
quartz and
feldspar. Silt may occur as a
soil or as
sediment mixed in
suspension with water (also known as a suspended load) in a
body of water such as a river. It may also exist as soil deposited at the bottom of a water body. Silt has a moderate
specific area with a typically non-sticky, plastic feel. Silt usually has a floury feel when dry, and a slippery feel when wet. Silt can be visually observed with a hand lens.