Geology of Kent into northern France. The fold arises from the continuing Alpine orogeny and results in the general northward dip of the rock strata in most of Kent. There are extensive spreads of coastal and estuarine alluvium on the Thames Estuary coast, in the low ground surrounding the Isle of Thanet and across Romney Marsh. Alluvium also floors the valleys of the River Medway and Stour. 'Clay-with-flints' is a commonly occurring deposit across the North Downs which is a product of periglacial conditions during the last ice age. Loessic deposists, of aeolian origin i.e. windblown, are common in east Kent, especially on
History of the eastern steppe River and Onon Rivers. To the east the steppe extends into "Manchuria" but does not reach the coast because of mountains and moisture from the Pacific. The Manchurian steppe merges northward to a deciduous forest-steppe and then the coniferous forest of Siberia. To the south it merges into agricultural China. In the west Dzungaria or northern Xinjiang is a westward extension of Mongolia. To the west of that the Dzungarian Gate leads to the extensive steppes of Kazakhstan, particularly the region of Jetysu. In the southeast is the agricultural area of the North China Plain, roughly around Beijing and southward.