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GLACIAL LANDFORMS

A. INTRODUCTION

• Glacier: land-based mass of ice that is flowing or shows signs of past flow

• Glaciers erode and deposit sediment; part of the driving framework

• Two main categories of glaciers based on size and shape:

Alpine Glaciers photo credit: S. Hillebrand, US FWS

Continental Glaciers (ice sheets) image credit: NASA Blue Marble

B. GLACIAL MECHANICS

Glacial Flow

Image credit: NASA/JPL

photo credit: Amy Harris (used with permission)

Glacial Mass Balance advancing glaciers stationary glaciers retreating glaciers

C. EROSIONAL LANDFORMS  

U-shaped Valley or Glacial Trough photo credit: R. Schukar (used with permission)

Hanging Valley photo: K.A. Lemke

 

Cirques photo credit: Molnia/USGS Glossary of Glacial Terminology

Aretes photo: K.A. Lemke

 

Horns, Cirques, Aretes photo copyright B. Molnia, Terra Photographics. Image courtesy Earth Science World Image Bank http://www.earthscienceworld.org/images

Cirques, Horns, Aretes, U-shaped valleys photo copyright B. Molnia, Terra Photographics. Image courtesy Earth Science World Image Bank http://www.earthscienceworld.org/image

 

Tarns

Paternoster lakes

Striations photo: K.A. Lemke

D. DEPOSITIONAL LANDFORMS

Moraines

Lateral Moraines photo: R. Schukar (used with permission)

Medial Moraines photo: Amy Harris (used with permission)

End moraines: terminal and recessional moraines

Other moraines

Ground moraine photo: R. Schukar (used with permission)

Interlobate moraine credit: K.A. Lemke

Kettle Holes

Greenbush Kettle, Kettle Moraine State Forest, Wisconsin

photo: K.A. Lemke

Drumlins

E. MELTWATER LANDFORMS

Outwash Plains

Eskers

Glacial tunnel

Esker near Kettle Moraine State Forest, WI

Kames

F. WISCONSIN GLACIAL LANDFORMS

G. SUMMARY

• Classification by size and shape: alpine glaciers and continental ice sheets

• Classification by mass balance: advancing, stationary, retreating

• Flow results in:

  • erosional landforms (often composed of pre-existing bedrock sculpted into a new shape)

  • depositional (ice-deposited) landforms (generally composed of unconsolidated sediment)

• Some landforms common to all glaciers and some unique to either alpine glaciers or continental ice sheets

• Melting results in glaciofluvial landforms

• Glaciers greatly impacted the landscape (and the soils) we see in Wisconsin today