ARTYKUŁY PRZEGLĄDOWE Mikromorfologia glin lodowcowych jako narzędzie w rekonstrukcji procesów subglacjalnych
Abstract
Micromorphology of tills as a tool in reconstructing subglacial processes.
A b s t r a c t. Micromorphology has become an important tool in investigations of glacial tills. Structure and texture of tills studied in thin sections can be used to decipher the origin of tills, in particular their depositional and deformational history, but also to shed light on the nature of subglacial erosion, transport and deposition processes in general. In combination with laboratory experiments on till shearing under controlled conditions, micromorphology yields useful, quantitative data on till rheology that helps understanding the processes of ice movement over soft, deformable beds.This paper is a review of micromorphology applications to the study of subglacial tills as reported in the leading modern literature and presentation of a case study from Obórki site in north-central Poland that illustrates the potential of this method in the context of the last Scandinavian Ice Sheet.
A b s t r a c t. Micromorphology has become an important tool in investigations of glacial tills. Structure and texture of tills studied in thin sections can be used to decipher the origin of tills, in particular their depositional and deformational history, but also to shed light on the nature of subglacial erosion, transport and deposition processes in general. In combination with laboratory experiments on till shearing under controlled conditions, micromorphology yields useful, quantitative data on till rheology that helps understanding the processes of ice movement over soft, deformable beds.This paper is a review of micromorphology applications to the study of subglacial tills as reported in the leading modern literature and presentation of a case study from Obórki site in north-central Poland that illustrates the potential of this method in the context of the last Scandinavian Ice Sheet.