Link between glacial striation morphology and induced drag

• DOI: 10.1130/b37351.1
• Publication Date: 2024-02-23T18:43:20Z
• Authors: Lucas K. Zoet; Lillian Smith; Alex Mixtli; Jeremy Brooks; Dougal D. Hansen
• Keywords: Striation; Morphology

Abstract Abrasion acts to smooth glacial terrains and leaves behind linear scratch-like features (striations) on bedrock landscapes. Striations are often used as measures of glacier flow directions, but their morphology can also provide information about the subglacial stress conditions that produced features. While striations abundant in field, processes create them be opaque hard examine situ because they occur under thick layers flowing ice. To alleviate difficulty for interpretation populations observed we conducted a set laboratory experiments which ring temperate debris-laden ice was slid atop planar marble bed various contact force led creation hundreds striations. During experiment, numerous glaciological properties were continuously measured, including resistive drag. Following completion experiments, beds extracted, measured length categorized by morphological type, subset using high-resolution white-light profilometer. These showed that, similar field observations, type 2 initially most abundant; however, found 3 became at large displacements. We good correlation between abundance function displacement drag displacement. When taken together, these results suggest natural settings, around small roughness elements “reset” basal debris causing become more wake. As is linked quarrying, abrasion rates may increase areas increased quarrying.