Lateral moraines

Deutsch: Als Seitenmöränen werden die von einem Gletscher abgelagerten Schuttmassen bezeichnet, die sich seitlich der eigentlichen Ausbreitungsrichtung des Gletschers abgelagert haben. Anhand ihrer Höhe lässt sich die Stärke der Vereisung rekonstruieren.

English: Lateral moraines are parallel ridges of debris deposited along the sides of a glacier. The unconsolidated debris can be deposited on top of the glacier by frost shattering of the valley walls and/or from tributary streams flowing into the valley. The till is carried along the glacial margin until the glacier melts. Because lateral moraines are deposited on top of the glacier, they do not experience the postglacial erosion of the valley floor and therefore, as the glacier melts, lateral moraines are usually preserved as high ridges.

Français : Moraines latérales

Íslenska: Jaðarurðir

See also: Moraines and Terminal moraines.

Diagrams of lateral moraines

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  Postglacial landscape with glacial lakes and lateral moraines
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  Cross section of a glacial valley with moraines

Aerial views of lateral moraines

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  Mount Katmai, Alaska
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  Kluane Icefield, Canada

Active lateral moraines

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  At a valley glacier in the Tian Shan mountain range, Kyrgyzstan
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  Moraine with receding glacier, Pakistan
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  Piz Ela, Switzerland
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  Upper Engadin, Switzerland: Another receding glacier
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  Chitral, Pakistan

Inactive lateral moraines

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  Lateral moraine in France
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  Chaos de Targasonne, Pyrenées-Orientales, France

See also: Moraine, Terminal moraines