Mechanism for the Formation of Inner Moraines Found Near the Edge of Cold Ice Caps and Ice sheets

Abstract

Abstract A new mechanism is described which explains the formation of moraines in the ablation areas of cold ice sheets. The mechanism involves the freezing of water onto the bottom surface of an ice sheet. This water comes from regions of the bottom surface where the combination of the geothermal heat and the heat produced by the sliding of ice over the bed is sufficient to melt ice. A number of criticisms are made of the shear hypothesis, which has been advanced to explain moraines occurring on Baffin Island and near Thule, Greenland. It is concluded that this older hypothesis may be inadequate to account for these moraines. Although in theory the mechanism proposed in this paper undoubtedly will lead to the formation of moraines, the existing field data are insufficient to prove conclusively that actual moraines have originated by means of this mechanism.