Geology 210 - Class Preparation Notes

Glacial Erosion and Deposition

How do glaciers move?  Discuss the relationship between depth and temperature, and plastic vs. brittle behavior.

How do crevasses illustrate the stress and strain relationships in moving glaciers?

How does the basal rheology of glaciers determine the type of erosion at the glacier base?  What are some features produced by glacial erosion of bedrock?  What are the typical features of glacially-eroded topography?

How is sediment entrained and carried by glaciers?  What grain sizes are typically produced during glacial erosion and transport?

What are the major types of sediment deposited in glacial systems?  What are the grain size characteristics of these types of sediment? How is each type of deposi related to characteristic topographic features?