Glaciers are large masses of ice that flow over the land, carrying and eroding rocks, sediments, and soil. As they move, glaciers deposit these materials at their edges, forming features known as moraines.
Types of Moraines
There are several types of moraines, including:
Terminal Moraine: This type of moraine is formed at the furthest extent of a glacier's advance. It marks the maximum advance of the glacier.
Lateral Moraine: These moraines form along the sides of a glacier and are composed of material that has fallen onto the glacier from the surrounding valley walls.
Medial Moraine: When two glaciers merge, the lateral moraines from each combine to form a single moraine running down the center of the merged glacier.
Ground Moraine: This type of moraine is formed by the deposition of till, an unsorted mixture of rock, sediment, and soil, directly on the ground as the glacier retreats.
Formation of Moraines
Moraines are formed through the processes of erosion, transport, and deposition. As a glacier moves, it erodes the underlying rock and soil, picking up and carrying these materials along with it. When the glacier melts or retreats, it deposits the debris it has accumulated, forming moraines in the process.
Study Guide
When studying moraines, it's important to understand the following key points:
Energy - A. Energy is involved in all physical and chemical processes. It is conserved, and can be transformed from one form to another and into work. At the atomic and nuclear levels energy is not continuous but exists in discrete amounts. Energy and mass are related through Einstein's equation E=mc 2 . B. The properties of atomic nuclei are responsible for energy-related phenomena such as radioactivity, fission and fusion. C. Changes in entropy and energy that accompany chemical reactions influence reaction paths. Chemical reactions result in the release or absorption of energy. D. The theory of electromagnetism explains that electricity and magnetism are closely related. Electric charges are the source of electric fields. Moving charges generate magnetic fields. E. Waves are the propagation of a disturbance. They transport energy and momentum but do not transport matter.
Relate temperature to the average molecular kinetic energy.