Tag: our changing earth

When the glaciers melt or recede they deposit the rock materials brought by them in heaps of various shapes and sizes. These are known as moraines. Moraine is a ridge-like depositional feature of a glacier. They are long but narrow ridges with height more than 30m.

The moving ice mass downslope under the impact of gravity is called glacier. About 10 per cent of the earth's surface is now covered by glacier. Glacier are formed due to accumulation of ice above snow-line under extreme cold climate.

Siachen glacier is a valley type of glacier. The body of ice moving downslope under the impact of gravity through the valley bordered by rock valley walls in the mountain is called mountain glacier or valley glacier.

Moraines are accumulations of dirt and rocks that have fallen onto the glacier surface or have been pushed along by the glacier as it moves. The dirt and rocks composing moraines can range in size from powdery silt to large rocks and boulders.

A mass of rocks and other sediments carried down and deposited by a glacier, typically as ridges at its edge or extremity is called a morain.

Different types of moraine:

• Terminal moraines are found at the terminus or the furthest (end) point reached by a glacier.
• Lateral moraines are found deposited along the sides of the glacier.
• Medial moraines are found at the junction between two glaciers.
• Ground moraines are disorganized piles of rocks of various shapes, sizes and of differing rock types.

Alpine glaciers, also known as mountain glaciers or cirque glaciers, form on the crests and slopes of mountains. An alpine glacier that fills a valley is sometimes called a valley glacier. Alpine glaciers begin high up in the mountains in bowl-shaped hollows called cirques. As the glacier grows, the ice slowly flows out of the cirque and into a valley. Several cirque glaciers can join together to form a single valley glacier.

Moraines are odd among the combination. As moraines are the ridge-like depositional feature of a glacier. On the other hand, beaches, lagoons, and bars are the landforms of coastal regions.