A varve represent an annual deposit of silt and clay. Sedimentation in deltas also occurs in rhythmic patterns as in the lake deposits, but they are thicker and contain coarse-grained materials instead of just silt and clay.
An annual layer of silt and clay constitutes a varve. Similarly, sedimentation in deltas occurs in rhythmic cycles like those found in lake deposits; however, the layers in deltas are thicker and composed of coarser materials instead of solely silt and clay.