Rock glaciers and block fields,review and new data |
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| Authors: | Sidney E White |
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| Institution: | Department of Geology and Mineralogy, Ohio State University, 125 South Oval Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43210 USA |
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| Abstract: | Tongue-shaped and lobate rock glaciers are recognized in most alpine regions today. For the tongue-shaped, two situations emerge: those with buried glacier ice (debris-covered glaciers) called ice-cored rock glaciers, and those with interstitial ice known as ice-cemented rock glaciers. Those with ice cores are revealed by depressions between rock glacier and headwall cliff (where a former glacier melted), longitudinal marginal and central meandering furrows, and collapse pits. Ice-cemented rock glaciers ordinarily do not possess these features. As applied to 18 rock glaciers in the Colorado Front Range, 11 of 12 east of the Continental Divide are ice-cored, 6 west of the Divide are ice-cemented. The majority of lobate rock glaciers in the Colorado Front Range are on the south sides of valleys, and, except for talus, are the most voluminous form of mass wasting. All those active and above treeline have characteristics common to all rock glaciers. In addition, they originate from talus, contain interstitial ice, move outward from valley walls at 1–6 cm/yr, and transport more debris as a process of erosion than heretofore realized. Block fields and block slopes, in polar and alpine regions, are thin accumulations of angular to subrounded blocks, on bedrock, weathered rock, or transported debris. They extend along slopes parallel to the contour. Block streams are similar but extend downslope normal to the contour and into valleys. They are made of interlocked blocks without interstitial detritus, but many have finer material deeper inside. The fabric of surface blocks indicates that motion most likely occurred during a periglacial time when interstitial debris, now washed or piped out, permitted movement of the whole deposit. |
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