Agents of transportation and redeposition: Which of the following natural agents can transport and redeposit soils?

Introduction / Context:
Soil deposits are frequently classified by their mode of transport and deposition, which controls grading, fabric, and engineering behavior. Recognizing depositional agents helps anticipate properties like density, permeability, and variability.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Water (fluvial, lacustrine, marine) can carry particles in suspension and bed load.
• Glaciers move and grind materials, producing tills and outwash.
• Wind (aeolian) transports fine sands and silts over long distances.
• Gravity yields colluvium and talus by downslope movement.

Concept / Approach:
Each listed agent is a recognized transporter: alluvial sands/silts (water), glacial tills (ice), dune sands and loess (wind), and colluvial slopes (gravity). The agent leaves a signature in sorting, particle shape, and layering that guides geotechnical investigation and sampling strategies.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Site reconnaissance and stratigraphic logs typically reveal such depositional signatures, confirming the correct classification.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Each single agent is correct but incomplete; the question asks which agents can transport and redeposit soils—hence all listed apply.

Common Pitfalls:
Assuming only water acts at meaningful scales; in arid and glaciated terrains, wind and ice dominate.

Final Answer:
All of the above