The sedimentological death mask of a dying glacier
Abstract The Pasterze is Austria's largest glacier, and it is experiencing rapid downwasting and retreat. A mosaic of complex sedimentary deposits has been produced in recent years which have not hitherto been studied, yet provide excellent lessons into the facies distribution expected from a d...
Main Authors: | , , , , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Wiley
2022-09-01
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Series: | The Depositional Record |
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/dep2.205 |
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author | Daniel Paul Le Heron Christoph Kettler Arian Wawra Martin Schöpfer Bernhard Grasemann |
author_facet | Daniel Paul Le Heron Christoph Kettler Arian Wawra Martin Schöpfer Bernhard Grasemann |
author_sort | Daniel Paul Le Heron |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Abstract The Pasterze is Austria's largest glacier, and it is experiencing rapid downwasting and retreat. A mosaic of complex sedimentary deposits has been produced in recent years which have not hitherto been studied, yet provide excellent lessons into the facies distribution expected from a dying valley glacier. In this paper, a new glaciological–geomorphological–geological map is presented for the glacier in July 2021. Freshly exposed (since 2018) tills and flutes constitute a subglacial sediment–landform assemblage. An ice‐marginal sediment–landform assemblage comprises meltwater streams, a delta system and proglacial lake terrace deposits. The supraglacial assemblage, meanwhile, includes fossil englacial channel deposits revealed by ablation, together with debris bands, rockfall deposits and supraglacial channel deposits. Collectively, these sediment–landform assemblages constitute the building blocks of a dying glacier landsystem. |
first_indexed | 2024-04-12T03:07:20Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-980803b3ef5447079fbe84f9a21e2a4e |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2055-4877 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-04-12T03:07:20Z |
publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
publisher | Wiley |
record_format | Article |
series | The Depositional Record |
spelling | doaj.art-980803b3ef5447079fbe84f9a21e2a4e2022-12-22T03:50:28ZengWileyThe Depositional Record2055-48772022-09-0183992100710.1002/dep2.205The sedimentological death mask of a dying glacierDaniel Paul Le Heron0Christoph Kettler1Arian Wawra2Martin Schöpfer3Bernhard Grasemann4Department of Geology University of Vienna Vienna AustriaDepartment of Geology University of Vienna Vienna AustriaDepartment of Geology University of Vienna Vienna AustriaDepartment of Geology University of Vienna Vienna AustriaDepartment of Geology University of Vienna Vienna AustriaAbstract The Pasterze is Austria's largest glacier, and it is experiencing rapid downwasting and retreat. A mosaic of complex sedimentary deposits has been produced in recent years which have not hitherto been studied, yet provide excellent lessons into the facies distribution expected from a dying valley glacier. In this paper, a new glaciological–geomorphological–geological map is presented for the glacier in July 2021. Freshly exposed (since 2018) tills and flutes constitute a subglacial sediment–landform assemblage. An ice‐marginal sediment–landform assemblage comprises meltwater streams, a delta system and proglacial lake terrace deposits. The supraglacial assemblage, meanwhile, includes fossil englacial channel deposits revealed by ablation, together with debris bands, rockfall deposits and supraglacial channel deposits. Collectively, these sediment–landform assemblages constitute the building blocks of a dying glacier landsystem.https://doi.org/10.1002/dep2.205glacierlakemorainetillUAV |
spellingShingle | Daniel Paul Le Heron Christoph Kettler Arian Wawra Martin Schöpfer Bernhard Grasemann The sedimentological death mask of a dying glacier The Depositional Record glacier lake moraine till UAV |
title | The sedimentological death mask of a dying glacier |
title_full | The sedimentological death mask of a dying glacier |
title_fullStr | The sedimentological death mask of a dying glacier |
title_full_unstemmed | The sedimentological death mask of a dying glacier |
title_short | The sedimentological death mask of a dying glacier |
title_sort | sedimentological death mask of a dying glacier |
topic | glacier lake moraine till UAV |
url | https://doi.org/10.1002/dep2.205 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT danielpaulleheron thesedimentologicaldeathmaskofadyingglacier AT christophkettler thesedimentologicaldeathmaskofadyingglacier AT arianwawra thesedimentologicaldeathmaskofadyingglacier AT martinschopfer thesedimentologicaldeathmaskofadyingglacier AT bernhardgrasemann thesedimentologicaldeathmaskofadyingglacier AT danielpaulleheron sedimentologicaldeathmaskofadyingglacier AT christophkettler sedimentologicaldeathmaskofadyingglacier AT arianwawra sedimentologicaldeathmaskofadyingglacier AT martinschopfer sedimentologicaldeathmaskofadyingglacier AT bernhardgrasemann sedimentologicaldeathmaskofadyingglacier |