There are a number of general classifications of glaciogenic deposits based on depositional environment, compositon, and morphology. Here are a few:

Sediment carried by glaciers can ultimately be deposited in a number of glacially related settings.

• Glacial: Deposited directly from active or stagnant glacial ice: Typically till deposits
  • Subglacial, englacial, supraglacial
• Resedimentation (Mass wasting): Flow till
• Glacial fluvial: Deposited by meltwater streams
• Glacial lacustrine: Deposited in glacial lakes
• Glacial marine: Deposited in the ocean and in marine estuaries

Note: Many of these settings can overlap. For example sediment can be deposited in small lakes and by streams formed on stagnant ice.

• ice contact: Deposited against the ice.
  • subglacial: deposited from the base or along the base of a glacier
  • supraglacial: deposited from the surface of the glacier
  • marginal: deposited along the margin
• non-ice contact: Deposited at some distance from the ice margin 

Note: Fluvial, marine or lacustrine ice-contact deposits typically exhibit signs of teconism or slumping.

• stratified drift: Typically meltwater deposits that contains layers (clay, silt, sand and gravel, etc.)
  • washed: most fines have been removed
• unstratified drift (diamict) 

• moraine, ground moraine, esker, kame terrace, kame, outwash, drumlin, etc.

   

[Glacial and Quaternary Geology] [extended GeoIndex][QkRef][Geological Sciences] [Degree Programs] [Salem State College]
Lindley Hanson (email) Last Modified 4/12/03