Little Ice Age glacial geomorphology and sedimentology of Portage Glacier, South-Central Alaska

The study of glacial landforms and deposits is important, as it is difficult to observe processes under modern glaciers and ice-sheets. Thus landscapes and sediments that are the product of present glaciation can give insight into processes that occurred during  pleistocene times. This study investi...

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Main Authors: João Santos, Carlos Córdova
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: CEG 2009-01-01
Series:Finisterra - Revista Portuguesa de Geografia
Online Access:https://revistas.rcaap.pt/finisterra/article/view/1380
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author João Santos
Carlos Córdova
author_facet João Santos
Carlos Córdova
author_sort João Santos
collection DOAJ
description The study of glacial landforms and deposits is important, as it is difficult to observe processes under modern glaciers and ice-sheets. Thus landscapes and sediments that are the product of present glaciation can give insight into processes that occurred during  pleistocene times. This study investigates the genesis of little ice age glacial landforms present in portage Glacier, South-central Alaska. The present day moraine morphology and sedimentology in portage Glacier valley reveals the presence of two types of till and moraines. The clast-rich sandy diamicton present on the 1852 moraine is interpreted to be a basal till indicating this feature is a push moraine representing an advance or a standstill position of portage Glacier in 1852. The moderately sorted gray sandy boulder gravel present on the 1900 and 1922 moraines is interpreted to be an ice-marginal deposit (ablation till) with a mixture of supraglacial and glaciofluvial sediments deposited by slumping and stream sorting processes. All of these features are interpreted to be ablation moraines representing glacier retreat and moraine building in 1900 and1922.
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spelling doaj.art-40d72b8a631e41a68394d3f3ad13d3c32022-12-21T22:13:18ZengCEGFinisterra - Revista Portuguesa de Geografia0430-50272182-29052009-01-01448710.18055/Finis1380Little Ice Age glacial geomorphology and sedimentology of Portage Glacier, South-Central AlaskaJoão SantosCarlos CórdovaThe study of glacial landforms and deposits is important, as it is difficult to observe processes under modern glaciers and ice-sheets. Thus landscapes and sediments that are the product of present glaciation can give insight into processes that occurred during  pleistocene times. This study investigates the genesis of little ice age glacial landforms present in portage Glacier, South-central Alaska. The present day moraine morphology and sedimentology in portage Glacier valley reveals the presence of two types of till and moraines. The clast-rich sandy diamicton present on the 1852 moraine is interpreted to be a basal till indicating this feature is a push moraine representing an advance or a standstill position of portage Glacier in 1852. The moderately sorted gray sandy boulder gravel present on the 1900 and 1922 moraines is interpreted to be an ice-marginal deposit (ablation till) with a mixture of supraglacial and glaciofluvial sediments deposited by slumping and stream sorting processes. All of these features are interpreted to be ablation moraines representing glacier retreat and moraine building in 1900 and1922.https://revistas.rcaap.pt/finisterra/article/view/1380
spellingShingle João Santos
Carlos Córdova
Little Ice Age glacial geomorphology and sedimentology of Portage Glacier, South-Central Alaska
Finisterra - Revista Portuguesa de Geografia
title Little Ice Age glacial geomorphology and sedimentology of Portage Glacier, South-Central Alaska
title_full Little Ice Age glacial geomorphology and sedimentology of Portage Glacier, South-Central Alaska
title_fullStr Little Ice Age glacial geomorphology and sedimentology of Portage Glacier, South-Central Alaska
title_full_unstemmed Little Ice Age glacial geomorphology and sedimentology of Portage Glacier, South-Central Alaska
title_short Little Ice Age glacial geomorphology and sedimentology of Portage Glacier, South-Central Alaska
title_sort little ice age glacial geomorphology and sedimentology of portage glacier south central alaska
url https://revistas.rcaap.pt/finisterra/article/view/1380
work_keys_str_mv AT joaosantos littleiceageglacialgeomorphologyandsedimentologyofportageglaciersouthcentralalaska
AT carloscordova littleiceageglacialgeomorphologyandsedimentologyofportageglaciersouthcentralalaska