Macro‐ and micro‐sedimentology of a modern melt‐out till – Matanuska Glacier,Alaska, USA

The macro‐ and micro‐sedimentology of a supraglacial melt‐out till forming at the Matanuska Glacier was examined in relationship to the properties of the stratified basal zone ice and debris from which it is originating. In situ melting of the basal ice has produced a laminated to bedded diamicton consisting mainly of silt. Macroscopic properties include: discontinuous laminae and beds; lenses of sand, silt aggregates and open‐work gravel; deformed and elongate clasts of clay; widely dispersed pebbles and cobbles, those that are prolate usually with their long axes subparallel to parallel to the bedding. Evidence for deformation is absent except for localized bending of beds over or under rock clasts. Microscopic properties are a unique element of this work and include: discontinuous lineations; silt to granule size laminae; prolate coarse sand and rock fragments commonly with their long axis subparallel to bedding; subangular to subrounded irregular shaped clay clasts often appearing as bands; sorted and unsorted silt to granule size horizons, sometimes disrupted by pore‐water pathways. Limited deformation occurs around rock clasts and thicker parts of lamina. This study shows that in situ melting of debris‐rich basal ice can produce a laminated and bedded diamicton that inherits and thereby preserves stratified basal ice properties. Production and preservation of supraglacial melt‐out till require in situ melting of a stagnant, debris‐rich basal ice source with a low relief surface that becomes buried by a thick, stable, insulating cover of ice‐marginal sediment. Also required are a slow melt rate and adequate drainage to minimize pore‐water pressures in the till and overlying sediment cover to maintain stability and uninterrupted deposition. Many modern and ancient hummocky moraines down glacier of subglacial overdeepenings probably meet these process criteria and their common occurrence suggests that both modern and pre‐modern supraglacial melt‐out tills may be more common than previously thought.     

Till mélange at Amsdorf, central Germany: sediment erosion, transport and deposition in a complex, soft-bedded subglacial system

Glacial mélange in the open-cast mine at Amsdorf, central Germany, consists of several square meters of large, sorted sediment blocks embedded in till. The blocks are composed of largely intact to slightly deformed glaciofluvial and glaciolacustrine sand, silt and clay, initially deposited in a proglacial lake (2–3 km up-ice) and subsequently overridden by a glacier. The blocks typically have cuboid to subrounded outlines, are randomly distributed in the till, and the contacts with the surrounding till are distinctly sharp. Underneath the mélange are varved clays which exhibit strong deformations occasionally intervening with entirely undisturbed areas. It is suggested that the blocks were entrained into debris-rich basal-ice by bulk freeze-on when the glacier sole was lowered onto the bottom of an overridden lake. After entrainment the blocks were transported englacially and re-deposited (with far-traveled till matrix) as a melt-out till from stagnant ice. The glacier moved mainly by sliding enhanced by low-permeability varved clays in the substratum. The glacier is believed to have been of a polythermal type. These results show that bulk freeze-on can lead to entrainment of soft sediment blocks at least 20 m² in size, and that these blocks can be englacially transported with little or no deformation for several kilometers and more. The occurrence of deformed and undeformed clays under the till mélange indicates a possible mosaic of coupled and decoupled ice, the latter caused by a thin, transient subglacial water film separating the bed from the glacier.     

Sedimentary evidence for deforming bed conditions associated with a grounded Irish Sea glacier,southern Ireland

Along the south coast of Ireland, a shelly diamict facies, the Irish Sea Till, has been variously ascribed to subglacial deposition by a grounded Irish Sea glacier or to glacimarine sedimentation by suspension settling and iceberg rafting. Observations are presented here from five sites along the south coast to directly address this question. At these sites, sedimentary evidence is preserved for the onshore advance of a grounded Irish Sea glacier, which glacitectonically disturbed and eroded pre‐existing sediments and redeposited them as deformation till. Recession of this Irish Sea glacier resulted in the damming of ice‐marginal lakes in embayments along the south coast, into which glacilacustrine sedimentation then took place. These lake sediments were subsequently glacitectonised and reworked by overriding glacier ice of inland origin, which deposited deformation till on top of the succession. There is no evidence for deposition of the Irish Sea diamicts by glacimarine sedimentation at these sites. The widespread development of subglacial deforming bed conditions reflected the abundance of fine‐grained marine and lacustrine sediments available for subglacial erosion and reworking. Stratigraphical and chronological data suggest that the advance of a grounded Irish Sea glacier along the south coast occurred during the last glaciation, and this is regionally consistent with marine geological data from the Celtic Sea. These observations demonstrate extension of glacier ice far beyond its traditional limits in the Celtic Sea and on‐land in southern Ireland during the last glaciation, and remove the stratigraphical basis for chronological differentiation of surficial glacial drifts, and thus the Munsterian Glaciation, in southern Ireland. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Insights into subglacial processes inferred from the micromorphological analyses of complex diamicton stratigraphy near Illmensee‐Lichtenegg,Höchsten,Germany

Menzies, J. & Ellwanger, D. 2010: Insights into subglacial processes inferred from the micromorphological analyses of complex diamicton stratigraphy near Illmensee‐Lichtenegg, Höchsten, Germany. Boreas, 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2010.00194.x. ISSN 0300‐9483. Investigations of a 30‐m‐high section of Pleistocene sediments at Illmensee‐Lichtenegg, Höchsten in Baden‐Württemberg provide detailed information on subglacial conditions beneath the Rhine Glacier outlet of the Alpine ice sheet in southern Germany. The sediment exposure extends from an upper cemented sand and gravel (Deckenschotter) into diamictic units that extend down to weathered Molasse bedrock. The exposure reveals sediments symptomatic of active syndepositional stress/strain processes ongoing beneath the ice sheet. Macrosedimentology reveals diamicton subfacies units and a strong uni‐direction of ice motion based on clast fabric analyses. At the microscale level, thin‐section analyses provide a substantially clearer picture of the dynamics of subglacial sediment deformation and till emplacement. Evidence based on detailed micromorphological analyses reveals microstructural strain and depositional markers that indicate a subglacial environment of ongoing soft bed deformation in which the diamictons can be readily identified as subglacial tills. Within this subglacial environment, distinct changes in pore‐water pressure and sediment rheology can be detected. These changes reveal fluctuating conditions of progressive, non‐pervasive deformation associated with rapid changes in effective stress and shear strain leading to till emplacement. This site, through the application of micromorphology, increases our understanding of localized subglacial conditions and till formation.     

Boulder shapes and grain-size distributions of debris as indicators of transport paths through a glacier and till genesis

Debris transported by glacier is derived either supraglacially from nunataks and valley sides or from erosion of the subglacial bed. Debris produced above the glacier by fracturing of rock walls has a dominant coarse fraction with angular boulders. Subsequent englacial or supraglacial transport is relatively passive and little comminution occurs. Debris eroded from subglacial bedrock is initially transported in a basal zone of traction, where particles frequently come into contact with the glacier bed and are retarded by it so that large forces may be generated between particles and the bed and at interparticle contacts. The material introduced into this tractional zone may be subglacial bedrock which has undergone a crushing-plucking event and which has a dominant coarse fraction, or supraglacially derived material which finds its way to the glacier bed. These parent debris assemblages are further comminuted by failure in response to locally concentrated compressive stresses, and attrition at shearing interfaces. Boulders transported through the tractional zone will tend to be rounded and bear several directions of striation. Large boulders embedded in lodgement till will tend to be streamlined with striae parallel to glacier flow and with an abruptly truncated distal extremity, rather like a roche moutonnée. Textural and boulder shape characteristics can be used to help distinguish different types of till.     

Deforming bed conditions on the Dánischer Wohld Peninsula, northern Germany

At the Dänischer Wohld Peninsula coastal sections (North West Germany), subglacial deformation was found at three scales. At the smallest scale, features typical of deforming bed tills were found, i.e. small boudins, tectonic laminations and low fabric strength till. At an intermediate scale, large lenses of glaciolacustrine sediments were found within subglacially deformed till. At the largest scale, there were large (over 5 m high) subglacial folds. We suggest that these styles of sedimentation/deformation were associated with a series of readvances during overall glacial retreat: subglacial deformation occurred during each advance and glaciolacus trine sedimentation occurred during each retreat. This led to glaciolacustrine sediments and deforming bed tills being folded together during subsequent readvances. Where the rheology was relatively weak, the lacustrine sediments were totally incorporated into the diamicton and lost their previous identity. However, where the glaciolacustrine sediments were relatively strong, they survived. We suggest that this style of deformation is typical of the conditions just upglacier from the ice margin and is associated with a relatively thick deforming layer and a high input of subglacial sediment. We conclude that the evidence found at this site provides further indications that the southern margins of the Fenno-Scandinavian ice sheet were coupled with the glacier bed and underwent deforming bed conditions.     

Till‐forming processes beneath parts of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet,British Columbia,Canada: macroscale and microscale evidence and a new statistical technique for analysing microstructure data

This paper presents the first integrated macroscale and microscale examination of subglacial till associated with the last‐glacial (Fraser Glaciation) Cordilleran Ice Sheet (CIS). A new statistical approach to quantifying till micromorphology (multivariate hierarchical cluster analysis for compositional data) is also described and implemented. Till macrostructures, macrofabrics and microstructures support previous assertions that primary till in this region formed through a combination of lodgement and deformation processes in a temperate subglacial environment. Macroscale observations suggest that subglacial environments below the CIS were probably influenced by topography, whereby poor drainage of the substrate in topographically constricted areas, or on slopes adverse to the ice‐flow direction at glacial maximum, facilitated ductile deformation of the glacier bed. Microscale observations suggest that subglacial till below the CIS experienced both ductile and brittle deformation, including grain rotation and squeeze flow of sediment between grains under moist conditions, and microshearing, grain stacking and grain fracturing under well‐drained conditions. Macroscale observations suggest that ductile deformation events were probably followed by brittle deformation events as the substrate subsequently drained. The prevalence of ductile‐type microstructures in most till exposures investigated in this study suggests that ductile deformation signatures can be preserved at the microscale after brittle deformation events that result in larger‐scale fractures and shear structures. It is likely that microscale ductile deformation can also occur within distributed shear zones during lodgement processes. Cluster analysis of microstructure data and qualitative observations made from thin sections suggest that the relative frequency of countable microstructures in this till is influenced by topography in relation to ice‐flow direction (bed drainage conditions) as well as by the frequency and distribution of voids in the till matrix and skeletal grain shapes.     

Microsedimentology of ice stream tills from the Eastern Alps,Austria – a new perspective on till microstructures

This study of tills from the Eastern Alps, Austria, illustrates the insights obtained using microsedimentology on subglacial tills in the context of palaeogeographical reconstructions of glacier advances. Investigations of several sites with tills derived from both local glaciers and the ice‐sheet streaming of the Inn Glacier during the Last Glacial Maximum and its termination reveal a detailed picture of subglacial sedimentology that provides evidence of soft sediment subglacial deformation under polythermal conditions. All the tills exhibit microstructures that are proxy evidence of significant changes in till rheology. The tills originate from multiple sources, incorporating older tills and other deposits picked up by the subglacial deformation within a polythermal but dominantly warm temperate subglacial thermal regime. The analyses of till microstructures reveal a direct relationship between basal ice strain conditions and their development. A hypothesis is derived, from the various microstructures observed in these Austrian tills formed under soft sediment deforming basal ice conditions, that suggests that with basal thermal changes and fluctuations in clay content, pore‐water content and pressure, microstructures form in a non‐random manner. It is postulated that in clay‐deficient sediments, edge‐to‐edge events are most likely to occur first; and where clay content increases, grain stacks, rotation structures, deformation bands and, finally, shear zones are likely to evolve in an approximate sequential manner. After repeated transport, emplacement, reworking and, probably, further shearing and deformation events, an emplaced ‘till’, as observed in these Austrian tills, will form that carries most, if not all of these microstructures, in varying percentages. Finally, the impact of the Inn Glacier Ice Stream on these tills is not easily detected and/or differentiated, but indications of high pore water and probable dilatant events leading to reductions in the number of edge‐to‐edge events point to the impact of fast or thick ice upon these subglacial tills.     

The formation of glacial flutes: Assessment of models with evidence from Lyngsdalen, North Norway

Flutes are a distinctive type of glacial landform and comprise closely-spaced, streamlined ridges and furrows usually developed on till surfaces and aligned parallel to ice movement direction. Several models proposed to explain their formation involve, at least in part, post-depositional deformation or transfer of subglacial sediments; others involve primary deposition or erosion. The flutes on several glacier forelands in the mountains of the southern Lyngen peninsula in North Norway are associated with glaciers with cold-based margins. To explain the formation of the flutes three main sets of variables are investigated: 1, the landforms and their shapes, dimensions and field relationships; 2, the physical properties of the materials comprising the flutes; and 3, the glacier properties, and in particular, the basal thermal regime and ice-debris relationships at the glacier margin. Existing models of flute formation which involve post-depositional deformation or transfer of subglacial sediments do not explain satisfactorily several aspects of the flutes found in Lyngen. Instead, a model is proposed in which the flutes are primary features formed by deformation of the basal ice layer around subglacial boulders or other obstacles.     

Fluid-pressure controlled soft-bed deformation sequence beneath the surging Breiðamerkurjökull (Iceland, Little Ice Age)

The general subject of this paper is subglacial deformation beneath Breiðamerkurjökull, a surging Icelandic glacier. More specifically it discusses the evolution and the role of fluid pressure on the behaviour of subglacial sediments during deformation. During Little Ice Age maximum, the two outcrops studied, North Jökulsarlon (N-Jk) and Brennhola-Alda (BA), were located at 2550 m and 550 m respectively from the front of the Breiðamerkurjökull. Sedimentological analysis at the forefield of the glacier shows thick, coarse glaciofluvial deposits interbedded with thin, fine-grained shallow lacustrine/swamp deposits, overlain by a deformed till unit at N-Jk. BA outcrop shows fine-grained shallow lacustrine/swamp deposits overlain by a deformed till unit. The sequence of deformation events from one outcrop to the other is similar. First, major thrust planes, which were rooted in shallow lacustrine/swamp deposits developed by glacially induced simple shear. Next, the thrusts were folded, indicating the deformation of hydroplastic sediment assisted by moderate fluid pressure. Then clastic dyke swarms crosscut the sedimentary succession, proving that fluid overpressure caused hydrofracturing associated with fluidisation. Finally, as water escaped from the glacier bed, fluid pressure dropped, and normal faulting occurred in brittle-state subglacial sediments. Fluid-pressure variations are related to glacier dynamics. They control the deformation sequence by modifying subglacial rheological behaviour and the nature of the subglacial tectonism.     

Subglacial bed deformation and dynamics of the Apriķi glacial tongue,W Latvia

Saks, T., Kalvans, A. & Zel?s, V. 2012 (January): Subglacial bed deformation and dynamics of the Apri?i glacial tongue, W Latvia. Boreas, Vol. 41, pp. 124–140. 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2011.00222.x. ISSN 0300‐9483. We evaluate the glacial dynamics and subglacial processes of the Apri?i glacial tongue in western Latvia during the Northern Lithuanian (Linkuva) oscillation of the last Scandinavian glaciation. The spatial arrangement of glacial bedforms and deformation structures are used to reconstruct the ice dynamics in the study area. The relationship between geological structures at the glacier bed and the spatial distribution of drumlins and glacigenic diapirs, on the one hand, and the permeability of sediment and bedrock, on the other, is ascertained. Drumlins are found in the upper part of the Apri?i glacial tongue area and are composed of soft deformable sediments overlying highly permeable Devonian dolomite. The soft deformable clayey silty bed with low hydraulic conductivity is conducive to the development of diapirs. The occurrence of diapirs and drumlins is controlled by the fluctuation of pore‐water pressure at the glacier bed and is considered to be an indicator of fast ice flow of the Apri?i glacial tongue during its reactivation at the end of the Oldest Dryas (18–15 ka BP).     

Formation of submarginal and proglacial end moraines: implications of ice‐flow mechanism during the 1963–64 surge of Brúarjökull,Iceland

The morphology, sedimentology and architecture of an end moraine formed by a ～9 km surge of Brúarjökull in 1963–64 are described and related to ice‐marginal conditions at surge termination. Field observations and accurate mapping using digital elevation models and high‐resolution aerial photographs recorded at surge termination and after the surge show that commonly the surge end moraine was positioned underneath the glacier snout by the termination of the surge. Ground‐penetrating radar profiles and sedimentological data reveal 4–5 m thick deformed sediments consisting of a top layer of till overlying gravel and fine‐grained sediments, and structural geological investigations show that the end moraine is dominated by thrust sheets. A sequential model explaining the formation of submarginal end moraines is proposed. The hydraulic conductivity of the bed had a major influence on the subglacial drainage efficiency and associated porewater pressure at the end of the surge, thereby affecting the rates of subglacial deformation. High porewater pressure in the till decreased its shear strength and raised its strain rate, while low porewater pressure in the underlying gravel had the opposite effect, such that the gravel deformed more slowly than the till. The principal velocity component was therefore located within the till, allowing the glacier to override the gravel thrust sheets that constitute the end moraine. The model suggests that the processes responsible for the formation of submarginal end moraines are different from those operating during the formation of proglacial end moraines.     

Surge dynamics of Aavatsmarkbreen,Svalbard, inferred from the geomorphological record

This study investigated the surge dynamics of Aavatsmarkbreen, a glacier in Svalbard and its geomorphological impact based on remote sensing data and field observations. The main objective was to analyse and classify subglacial and supraglacial landforms in the context of glacial deformation and basal sliding over a thin layer of thawed, water‐saturated deposits. The study also focused on the geomorphological evidence of surge‐related sub‐ and supraglacial crevassing and glacier front fracturing. From 2006 to 2013, the average recession of Aavatsmarkbreen was 363 m (52 m a⁻¹). A subsequent surge during 2013–2015 resulted in a substantial advance of the glacier front of over 1 km and an increase in its surface area of more than 2 km². The surface of Aavatsmarkbreen was severely fractured. Significant ice‐flow acceleration was noted whereby the highest surface velocity reached 4.9 m day⁻¹. The ephemeral water‐escape structures and mini‐flutings on the fine‐grained till surface that formed during the surge are indicative of high subglacial pore‐water pressure and enhanced basal sliding. Two genetic types of clast pavements occur in the marginal zone of Aavatsmarkbreen. The results of this study will help to constrain glaciological and geomorphological processes involved in surge phenomena. Understanding the scale and effects of these processes provides insight into the behaviour of fast‐flowing glaciers and ice streams and reveals their relationships with external factors.     

A multiproxy study of a basal till: a time‐transgressive accretion and deformation hypothesis

A two‐part basal till at Knud Strand, Denmark reveals a uniform fabric pattern and strength, petrographical composition and clay mineralogy. The nature of the contact with the underlying sediments, ductile deformation structures, partly intact soft sediment clasts, small meltwater channels and thin horizontal outwash stringers dispersed in the till indicate both bed deformation and basal decoupling by pressurised subglacial water. A time‐transgressive model is suggested to explain the lack of vertical gradation in till properties in which debris released from the active ice sole is sheared in a thin zone moving upward as till accretion proceeds. It is suggested that, although strain indicators occur throughout the entire till thickness, the deformation at any point of time encompassed the uppermost part of the till only, allowing preservation of fragile clasts below. The substantial thickness of the till (up to 6 m) coupled with a much smaller (by more than one order of magnitude) inferred thickness of the deforming bed suggests that the bulk of till material was transported englacially prior to deposition. The lack of petrographical gradation in the till is attributed to effective mixing and homogenisation of material along the ice flow path. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparisons between macro‐ and microfabrics in a pebble‐rich,sandy till deposited by the Cordilleran Ice Sheet

It is standard practice to measure particle fabrics in glacial studies to infer palaeo‐ice flow directions and processes of till formation but few studies examine the relationships between particle fabrics at different (i.e. the macro‐ and micro‐) scales. This knowledge is critical to inform the utility of the methods and limitations of the associated interpretations. Micro‐ (sand grain) and macro‐ (pebble) fabrics of pebble‐rich, sandy subglacial till (Kamloops Lake till) deposited by the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, south‐central British Columbia, were compared to assess their similarities and differences, and therefore their utility for understanding subglacial processes. Before comparisons were made, the data were tested for robustness by assessing various controls (e.g. sampling face orientation, number of particles measured, statistical variation resulting from sampling effects, particle shape, size and concentration) on particle fabrics. A new method of microfabric analysis was applied that involves the identification and delineation of distinct clusters of similarly orientated sand grains in order to compare them with macrofabrics and inferred ice‐flow directions. The results show that microfabrics, on their own, are an unreliable indicator of ice‐flow direction in Kamloops Lake till in the study area and should not be used as a substitute for macrofabric data, as they probably record late‐stage microscale strain patterns and pore‐water flow in addition to till deposition and deformation by overriding ice. We suspect that this would also be the case for coarse‐grained till elsewhere. Our findings suggest that till microfabric interpretations should always be made after assessing corresponding macrofabric data alongside sedimentological and structural observations.     

Formation of a stratified subglacial ‘till’ assemblage by ice‐marginal thrusting and glacier overriding

Ó Cofaigh, C., Evans, D. J. A. & Hiemstra, J. F. 2010: Formation of a stratified subglacial ‘till’ assemblage by ice‐marginal thrusting and glacier overriding. Boreas, 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2010.00177.x. ISSN 0300‐9483. A thick sequence of glaciotectonically stacked till and outwash is preserved in a coastal embayment at Feohanagh, southwest Ireland. The sequence contains a variety of diamicton lithofacies, including laminated, stratified and massive components, but stratified diamictons dominate. Stratification/lamination is imparted by the presence of numerous closely spaced subhorizontal and anastomosing partings, which give a fissile appearance to the diamictons. Many partings are the result of sandy or thin gravelly layers within the diamictons. Some diamictons contain interbeds and lenses of sand, mud and gravel, which still preserve the original stratification. The sequence at Feohanagh is the product of a two‐stage depositional process in which initial glaciolacustrine sedimentation in an ice‐dammed lake was followed by glaciotectonic thrusting and overriding, during which the lake sediments were reworked and variably deformed. Similar late Quaternary sequences of glaciotectonically stacked stratified sediments and till have been described from around the coastal margins of Ireland and Britain, where they constitute glaciotectonite–subglacial traction till continuums rather than true lodgement tills as traditionally implied. Thick stratified diamicton assemblages are likely to occur in areas where steep topography provides pinning points for the glacier margin to stabilize and deliver large volumes of sediment into a glaciolacustrine or glaciomarine setting before proglacial and subglacial reworking of the sediment pile. The resulting geological–climatic unit, often defined as ‘till’, will contain a large amount of stratified and variably deformed material (laminated and stratified diamictons will be common), including intact sediment rafts, reflecting low strain rates and short sediment transport distances.     

Cordilleran Ice Sheet lobal interactions and glaciotectonic superposition through stadial maxima along a mountain front in southwestern British Columbia, Canada

Glaciotectonic structures in subglacial till and substrate, as well as stone fabric, provenance and surface features in till, indicate that complex interactions of late Wisconsinan glacial lobes occurred along a mountain front in the western Fraser Lowland of southwestern British Columbia. Tills of this study represent subglacial deposition through the maxima of two stades in the Fraser Glaciation, the Coquitlam and the Vashon. Through each stadial maximum, temperate glacial ice was grounded and commonly overrode proglacial outwash while superimposing deformations in subglacial till during three phases: (1) pre-maximum glacier flow down valleys and into lowland piedmont ice, (2) coalescent piedmont ice during stadial maxima when flow was westward along the mountain front and across valley mouths, and (3) post-maximum glacier flow down valleys into lowland piedmont ice but prior to general deglaciation. Valley glaciers appear to have shifted flow directions during phases 1 and 3. During stadial maxima (phase 2), Fraser Lowland piedmont ice may have been part of an outlet glacier-ice stream complex that terminated in salt water over the continental shelf.     

End moraine construction by incremental till deposition below the Laurentide Ice Sheet: Southern Ontario,Canada

Eyles, N., Eyles, C., Menzies, J. & Boyce, J. 2010: End moraine construction by incremental till deposition below the Laurentide Ice Sheet: Southern Ontario, Canada. Boreas, 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2010.00171.x. ISSN 0300‐9483. Just after 13 300 ¹⁴C a BP in central Canada, the retreating Ontario lobe of the Laurentide Ice Sheet briefly re‐advanced westwards through the Lake Ontario basin to build a large end moraine. The Trafalgar Moraine (27 km long, 4 km wide) is composed of a distinctly red‐coloured silt‐rich till (Wildfield Till, up to 16.5 m thick) formed by the reworking of proglacial lake deposits and soft shale bedrock. The moraine has a pronounced ramp‐like longitudinal form passing upglacier into fluted till resting on exposed shale. Analysis of water well stratigraphic data, drilled sediment cores, downhole gamma‐ray logs and exposures in deep test pits shows that within the moraine the Wildfield Till is built of superposed beds up to 7 m in thickness. These are inferred to result from the repeated incremental deposition of fine‐grained debris being moved towards the ice margin as a deforming bed such as identified at modern glaciers. A total till volume of 0.81 km³ was produced in a very brief time‐span along a transport path probably no greater than 10 km in length. Subglacial mixing of pre‐existing sediment and soft shale was clearly a very effective process for generating and moving large volumes of till to the ice margin. Similar till‐dominated end moraines occur widely around the margins of the Great Lake basins, where the markedly lobate margin of the retreating Laurentide Ice Sheet re‐advanced repeatedly into proglacial lakes and over fine‐grained sediment. This suggests the wider applicability of the till transport and incremental depositional model presented here.     

Sediment production and transport in a proglacial stream: Hilda Glacier, Alberta, Canada

Hilda Glacier, a small cirque glacier in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, yields two principal types of sediment: ablation till, deficient in fine material and produced by rockfalls and avalanches falling on to the glacier surface, and basal lodgement till, rich in fines and formed mainly by subglacial erosion. Recent recession from its Neoglacial maximum has exposed large areas of basal till with thin veneers of ablation till which, when combined with present subglacial and supraglacial debris, provide abundant material for erosion and transport by the mcltwatcr stream. Sediment transport measurements over two summers (1977–1978) showed that bed load and suspended load occur in approximately equal proportions and that dissolved loads are minor. Local source variations, especially bank slumps, are a major cause of scatter in sediment rating curves. Suspended-sediment concentrations are greater early in the melt season due to availability of loose sediment produced by freezing and thawing. Other contributors to scatter in suspended-sediment rating curves include rain showers and diurnal hysteretic effects. Although the distinction between bed load and suspended load is never sharp, available data suggest that the sand/ gravel grain-size boundary (-1ø) approximates the suspendcd-load/bed-load division for characteristic Hilda flows transporting gravel. This approximation, combined with till grain-size analyses, suspended-sediment measurements, and spatial distributions of till types, leads to the following computations of fluvial sediment sources: for suspended load - 6% supraglacial, 47% subglacial, 47% channel banks; for bed load - 46% supraglacial, 27% each subglacial and channel banks. Supraglacial debris provides only about one-fourth of all fluvial sediment, but nearly half of the bed load.