What type of deposits are characterized as sorted by size and layered?

The correct answer highlights that water and wind deposits are typically sorted by size and layered due to the natural processes involved in their transport and deposition. When sediments are carried by water (like rivers or ocean currents) or wind, they are sorted according to their sizes because the energy of the transporting medium influences which particles can be carried along. For instance, in a river, faster currents can carry larger sediments, while slower currents will allow smaller particles, such as sand or silt, to settle out. This results in well-defined layers of sediment, with coarser materials at the bottom and finer materials on top, creating a stratified appearance.

Additionally, wind deposits, such as those found in deserts or along beaches, similarly sort particles. The wind can only lift lighter particles to a certain height and transport them over distances, leading to layered formations like dunes where sand sizes can vary across different layers.

Understanding this process is essential for recognizing how various environments contribute to sediment deposition. Other options encompass deposit types that may not show clear sorting by size or layering in the same way as water and wind deposits. For example, glacial deposits often result in a jumbled mixture of various particle sizes and lack the clear layering observed in fluvial and aeolian processes.