Glacial geography features several types of plains, but the Outwash Plain is the most extensive depositional form. As a glacier melts, the resulting water carries a massive load of debris. As this water spreads out over a flat area, it loses energy and drops the sediment, creating a vast, level plain. These plains are distinct from “Till Plains,” which consist of unsorted material dropped directly by the ice. Outwash plains are common in formerly glaciated regions like the Northern USA, Germany and Poland and they often contain unique features like “kettles” (small lakes) formed by buried ice blocks.