Channelized subglacial drainage under soft-bedded ice sheets: evidence from small N-channels in Central European Lowland
Keywords:
central Europe, Pleistocene, subglacial channels, drainage systems, ice-bed processesAbstract
Examples of small (m-scale) subglacial meltwater channels of Nye-type from central Europe coupled with the occurrence of large tunnel valleys suggest a significant role of non-distributed drainage system during major Pleistocene glaciations in this area. Hydraulic transmissivity of unconsolidated sediments overridden by the ice sheets was not sufficient to drain all basal meltwater as groundwater flow, so that the excess water volume was evacuated in hydraulically efficient channels incised into the bed, well preserved in the geological record. The channels are steep-sided, surrounded by undisturbed sediments and filled mainly with till, and they are bound by sharp, undulating erosional contacts. Their occurrence in sub-marginal areas of past ice sheets is consistent with the glaciological theory.Downloads
Published
2013-02-14
Issue
Section
Articles
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as this can lead to productive exchanges and earlier and more frequent citation of the published work (See The Effect of Open Access).