Ribbed moraines

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A ribbed moraine (also called a Rogen moraine) is a type of moraine formed subglacially (i.e., below glaciers or ice sheets) looking similar to giant current ripples. Ribbed moraines occur in groups or "fields" and are oriented transverse to former ice flow. They are often associated with drumlins, the latter being oriented parallel to ice flow.

Their exact origin is a matter of debate. The main theories are:

• differential erosion by catastrophic release of meltwater
• ductile deformation of unfrozen sediments
• brittle deformation of frozen sediments

[edit] See also

• Drumlin

[edit] External links

• Scientific paper about ribbed moraines (Marich et al., 2005)
• More information about ribbed moraines
• Ribbed moraines formed by catastrophic subglacial meltwater floods