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Sedimentation and Stratigraphy at Eyjabakkajökull—An Icelandic Surging Glacier

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Martin Sharp
Martin Sharp*
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Downing Place, Cambridge, CB2 3EN, United Kingdom
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Abstract

A model for sedimentation by surging glaciers is developed from analysis of the debris load, sedimentary processes, and proglacial stratigraphy observed at the Icelandic surging glacier, Eyjabakkajökull. Three aspects of the behavior of surging glaciers explain the distinctive landformsediment associations which they may produce: (a) sudden loading of proglacial sediments during rapid glacier advances results in the buildup of excess pore pressures, failure, and glacitectonic deformation of the overridden sediments; (b) reactivation of stagnant marginal ice by the downglacier propagation of surges is associated with large longitudinal compressive stresses. These induce intense folding and thrusting during which basal debris-rich ice is elevated into an englacial position in a narrow marginal zone. As the terminal area of the glacier stagnates between surges, debris from this ice is released supraglacially and deposited by meltout and sediment flows; (c) local variations in overburden pressure beneath stagnant, crevassed ice cause subglacial lodgement tills, which are sheared during surges, to flow into open crevasses and form “crevasse-fill” ridges.

Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 24 , Issue 3 , November 1985 , pp. 268 - 284
Copyright
University of Washington

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