Share this: Facebook | Twitter | Permalink. The Dude: Walter, ya know, it's Smokey, so his toe slipped over the line a little, big deal. It's just a game, man. Walter Sobchak: Dude, this is a league game, this determines who enters the next round robin.
A varve is an annual layer of sediment or sedimentary rock. The word 'varve' derives from the Swedish word varv whose meanings and connotations include 'revolution', 'in layers', and 'circle'. The term first appeared as Hvarfig lera (varved clay) on the first map produced by the Geological Survey of Sweden in 1862.
Varves form only in fresh or brackish water, because the high levels of salt in normal sea water coagulate the clay into coarse grains. Since the saline waters leave coarse particles all year, it is nearly impossible to distinguish the individual layers in salt waters.