Search

Glacial quarrying stems from the fracturing of subglacial bedrock. Much evidence shows that subcritical crack propagation of bedrock is closely related to subglacial water pressure fluctuations. Here we employ a model that assesses the impact of subglacial water pressure fluctuation on cavity length and subcritical crack propagation, while analyzing the effect of a pre-existing crack location using a phase-field model (PFM). Our results indicate that the cavity length is reduced during diurnal fluctuations in water pressure. There are two patterns of subcritical crack propagation on the corner of the step. The first stems from a rapid drop in water pressure. The second occurs after the water pressure recovers from the fluctuation to the initial steady state. This pattern is a consequence of enhanced stress concentration on the step since the modeled cavity length exceeds its steady value and has higher efficiency in promoting subcritical crack propagation. Additionally, based on the PFM results, we speculate that the subcritical crack initiation and propagation happen on a broader scale, including the ice-bed contact region and its adjacent region. Our findings imply that the duration of subcritical crack propagation is short and typically ceases once the cavity length adjusts to reduced water pressure levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface crevasses on the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) capture nearly half of the seasonal runoff, yet their role in transferring meltwater to the bed has received little attention relative to that of supraglacial lakes and moulins. Here, we present observations of crevasse ponding and investigate controls on their hydrological behavior at a fast‐moving, marine‐terminating sector of the GrIS. We map surface meltwater, crevasses, and surface‐parallel stress across a ∼2,700 km2 region using satellite data and contemporaneous uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) surveys. From 2017 to 2019 an average of 26% of the crevassed area exhibited ponding at locations that remained persistent between years despite rapid advection. We find that the spatial distribution of ponded crevasses does not relate to previously proposed controls on the distribution of supraglacial lakes (elevation and topography) or crevasses (von Mises stress thresholds), suggesting the operation of some other physical control(s). Ponded crevasse fields were preferentially located in regions of compressive surface‐parallel mean stress, which we interpret to result from the hydraulic isolation of these systems. This contrasts with unponded crevasse fields, which we suggest are readily able to transport meltwater into the wider supraglacial and englacial network. UAV observations show that ponded crevasses can drain episodically and rapidly, likely through hydrofracture. We therefore propose that the surface stress regime influences a spatially heterogeneous transfer of meltwater through crevasses to the bed of ice sheets, with consequences for processes, such as subglacial drainage and the heating of ice via latent heat release by refreezing meltwater. Plain Language Summary: Surface crevasses on the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) transfer nearly half of all the ice sheet's meltwater to the bed, yet when, where, and how this occurs is poorly understood. We use large‐scale satellite analysis and uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) surveys to assess the spatial variability of meltwater ponding in crevasses across a fast‐flowing sector of the western GrIS. Between 2017 and 2019 an average of a quarter of crevasse fields ponded, in roughly the same area every year. However, the locations of such ponding cannot be explained in the same way as supraglacial lakes, which collect in surface basins. Instead, we find that ponded crevasses exist in regions of compressive surface stress. We suggest that this is because compressive regimes close pathways that elsewhere allow crevasses to drain into the wider surface hydrological system. Using UAV surveys, we show that these ponded crevasses instead drain rapidly to the bed by hydrofracture. Differing drainage processes in regions of compressive and extensional regimes may have distinct consequences for subglacial drainage and the heating of the ice sheet due to energy release during meltwater refreezing. Key Points: At a marine‐terminating sector of the Greenland Ice Sheet, 26% of all crevasses ponded between 2017 and 2019; the rest remained unfilledPonded crevasse locations persist between years but, unlike supraglacial lakes, this distribution is not topographically controlledCrevasses pond in compressive stress regimes, likely due to hydraulic isolation by creep closure, and drain predominantly via hydrofracture [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Autonomous Pinger Unit (APU) is an electro-thermal drill with acoustic instrumentation developed for the project EnEx-RANGE in view of a future space mission for the sub-surface exploration of Saturn's moon Enceladus. A main goal is the development of navigation technology for an acoustic guidance system allowing maneuvering a probe through glacial ice. In total 13 APUs were built and tested in terrestrial analog scenarios on alpine glaciers. The APUs form a spatially distributed network that defines a system of reference for the navigation of the maneuverable probe to a point of interest. The APUs have a novel melting head, slow control systems, and a modern system-on-chip (SoC) module that controls the probe and processes the recorded data. The APUs use acoustic emitters and receivers to measure the transit time of acoustic signals between them, allowing for the position reconstruction of all APUs by trilateration. Several auxiliary sensors monitor the internal state of the probe and assist the position estimation. With this instrumentation, the APUs have the ability of dynamically optimizing themselves within the network by changing their position. This paper gives an overview of the developed APU hardware and presents performance results from the field tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we look at the fissures in United Europe from both sides of the region where a post-Cold War 'Middle/Central Europe' should have been forged. How do leading German and Polish newspapers treat the categories of 'Central' or 'Middle' Europe relative to the concept of the Eastern–Western European divide and what are the discourses associated with these perspectives? At the time of a looming redefinition of the entire European project, what can media reports from Germany and Poland tell us about its future? We conclude that the media narratives in these two countries portend further tensions for European unity, since the new divisions now overlap the old ones. Our findings have implications for the future of democracy in the newly democratic countries of Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this issue of Science and Children, we consider what lies "beyond the field trip." Whether students are learning remotely or face-to-face with you in class, the apps in this issue are great choices for connecting students with the world around them. Field Trip as Social Learning: Allow students to share their ideas and experiences about the field trip and generally what is going on in their everyday lives. Students do not need to make the connection between the "dirty" appearance of glaciers and glaciers as agents of erosion while working in the Hidden Worlds app. [Extracted from the article]

Surface subsidence and fissures, especially surface fissures, are typical geological disasters related to groundwater activities in the Su-Xi-Chang area, China. In this study, we first analysed the geologic background and hydraulic features of earth formation in the area and constructed a physical model and its related experimental system in the laboratory. Based on the model and the system, we further experimentally studied and theoretically analysed the mechanism of ground fissure formation. The results showed that development of the earth fissures obviously undergoes the following stages. First, under self-gravity, the soil (artificial sand) layers in the model box with larger void ratios are gradually compacted, leading to uneven surface subsidence. Second, although the excess pore-water pressure could cause the surface to rise locally and macroscopically, water impounding on the aquifer lowers the friction among sand grains to certain degree depending on the strength of seepage in the horizontal direction, resulting in surface deformation and subsidence. Third, strong water pumping instantaneously releases excess pore-water pressure, resulting in soil consolidation in the vertical direction. Therefore, repeated groundwater impounding and pumping together with unique geological conditions lead to the formation of earth fissures in the Su-Xi-Chang area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subglacial drainage systems are known to critically control ice flows, but their spatial configuration and temporal evolution are poorly constrained due to inaccessibility. Here we report a 12‐year‐long monitoring of the drainage underneath Bering Glacier, Alaska, by correlating ambient noise recorded at two seismic stations on the sides of the glacier. We find that the seismic surface waves traveling across Bering Glacier slowed down by 1–2% during its latest 2008–2011 surge, likely due to the switch of the subglacial drainage from a channelized system to a distributed system. In contrast to current models, the relative amplitude of velocity reductions for Rayleigh and Love waves requires the distributed drainage to be highly anisotropic and aligned perpendicular to the ice flow direction. We infer that the subglacial water flow is mainly through a network of transverse basal crevasses during surges and thus can sustain the high water pressure and ice flow speed. Plain Language Summary: Water underneath glaciers strongly controls how ice flows. However, it is difficult to map how water flows under the cover of hundreds or thousands of meters of ice. Here we propose a new approach to image and monitor water in glaciers, by using seismic waves continuously excited by the ocean and atmosphere. With sensors on both sides, we can measure the time seismic waves take to travel across a glacier. More water in glacier can slow down the seismic waves. For Bering Glacier, Alaska, we detected a substantial slowdown of seismic waves from 2008 to 2010, which coincides with a period when the ice flow accelerated by a factor of 10. We interpret the observed seismic slowdown as caused by water flowing through a network of crevasses near the base of the glacier. Key Points: Noise interferometry across Bering Glacier reveal 1‐2% seismic velocity reduction during its latest surgeThe changes require anisotropic weakening of the glacial base with elongated water pockets transverse to ice flowWe interpret the results as evidences for distributed subglacial water flow through a network of basal crevasses [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For Antarctic research, one of the important support tasks is a monitoring of sledge routes and other visited areas for detection of open crevasses and revealing of hidden, snow-covered ones. We study the possibility of revealing hidden crevasses with geomorphometric treatment of high-resolution, glacier digital elevation models (DEMs) produced from imagery captured by unmanned aerial systems (UASs). The study was conducted in East Antarctica, at a sledge route from the Progress to Vostok Stations. The survey performed with Geoscan 201 Geodesy UAS, resulted in a set of aerial images with a resolution of 6 cm. From these images, we produced glacier DEMs for a typical area with snow-covered crevasses. The glacier DEMs with the resolutions of 25 cm, 50 cm, and 1 m were treated by geomorphometric methods. We derived models of 16 morphometric variables including horizontal and vertical curvatures. For the 1-m gridded DEM, mapping of some variables allowed us to reveal one of the crevasses. The approach is functional, at least, for revealing crevasses with a width of 1.5 m and wider, covered by the snow layer with a thickness of up to 1.2 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper we propose a simple method for dealing with growth control of cracks under contact type boundary conditions on their lips. The aim is to find a mechanism for decreasing the energy release rate of cracked components, which means increasing their fracture toughness. The method consists in minimizing a shape functional defined in terms of the Rice's integral, with respect to the nucleation of hard and/or soft inclusions, according to the information provided by the associated topological derivative. Based on Griffith's energy criterion, this simple strategy allows for an increase in fracture toughness of the cracked component. Since the problem is non-linear, the domain decomposition technique, combined with the Steklov-Poincaré pseudo-differential boundary operator, is used to obtain the sensitivity of the associated shape functional with respect to the nucleation of a small circular inclusion with different material property from the background. Then, the obtained topological derivatives are used to indicate the regions, where the controls should be positioned in order to solve the minimization problem we are dealing with. Finally, a numerical example is presented showing the applicability of the proposed methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The terminus of the ephemeral Río Colorado is located at the margins of Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, the world's largest salt lake. The low‐gradient (<0.0006 m m‐1), non‐vegetated reaches approaching the terminus provide an excellent natural laboratory for investigating cascades of channel‐floodplain changes that occur in response to quasi‐regular flows (at least once annually) and fine‐grained sediment supply (dominantly silt and clay). High‐resolution satellite imagery (<0.65 m, various dates from 2004 onwards) and field data reveal widespread, pronounced and rapid morphodynamics on sub‐decadal timescales, including channel erosion and chute cutoff formation, and development of crevasse channels and splays, floodouts (unchannelled surfaces at channel termini), and erosion cells (floodplain scour‐transport‐fill features). In particular, following high annual precipitation (>400 mm) in 2004–2005 and two subsequent high magnitude daily precipitation events (~40 mm), all of which led to widespread flooding, numerous crevasse splays formed between 2004 and 2016, avulsions occurred at nearby floodouts, and erosion cells downstream of the splays and floodouts underwent striking morphological changes. High‐precision GPS data reveal two preferential localities for erosion cell development: partially or fully abandoned channels with crevasse splay remnants, and topographic lows between channels. In this overall low‐gradient setting, comparatively high gradients (up to ~0.0006 m m‐1) at the edge of splay deposits and topography created by crevasses and abandoned channels may initiate knickpoint retreat and thereafter erosion cell development. Abandoned channels with splays tend to give rise to narrow, deep erosion cells, while topographic lows promote relatively shallow, wide erosion cells. In both situations, erosion cells may extend upslope and downslope, and eventually connect to form straight channels. The channel‐floodplain morphodynamics near the Río Colorado terminus extend previous analyses of low‐gradient, dryland river systems, particularly because the lack of vegetation and quasi‐regular floods drive cascades of rapid changes on sub‐decadal timescales. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Highlights: • Rapid cascades of channel‐floodplain changes characterise the ephemeral lower Río Colorado. • Enhanced local slope created by splays and abandoned channels promotes erosion cell development. • Erosion cells may connect up and form straighter channels. Inset: Example of erosion cell development along an abandoned channel. Letters S, T and F represent scour, transport and fill sections in the erosion cells. Pléiades imagery, with general flow direction from lower right to upper left (i.e. oblique to the abandoned channel), and north oriented to the top. Main image: Example of a relatively straight channel that may have resulted from the elongation and connection of erosion cells. The straightness of this channel contrasts with the higher sinuosity evident along older active or abandoned channels. Pléiades imagery, with general flow direction from bottom to top, and north oriented to the top. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract To study the rock fracturing characteristics in cold-region engineering, uniaxial compression tests are conducted on double unparallel fissure-contained sandstone specimens subjected to freeze-thaw (FT) cycles. First, the effects of FT cycles on the water absorption, peak strength, initiation stress and deformation behavior of flawed sandstone specimens are investigated. The water absorption, uniaxial compressive strength, initiation stress, elastic modulus and deformation modulus of flawed sandstone specimens decrease with an increase in the number of FT cycles. However, the peak strain of flawed sandstone specimens increases with an increase in the number of FT cycles. Second, the cracking processes of flawed sandstone specimens are investigated in detail via images captured by a high-speed digital video camera system. The relationship between the real-time crack coalescence and the axial stress-strain curve of flawed specimens, which evaluates the macroscopic deformation characteristics of precracked rock subjected to FT cycles well, is considered. Third, the interaction mechanism of fissures in rock specimens is discussed. Fourth, the influence of water and temperature on the rock-weakening process is discussed. In this study, during the rock FT cycle weakening process, the effect of water, including the dissolution effect and the stress effect, is analyzed, whereas temperature damages the rock by means of different temperature gradients and the phase transition of water. Finally, the local strong fatigue-damaged zones around the fissure tips of sandstone specimens are also analyzed. These experimental results are helpful to improve the understanding of fracture mechanisms of a rock mass in cold-region engineering. Highlights • The effects of FT cycles on the peak strength, initiation stress and deformation behaviors of flawed sandstone specimens are investigated. • The cracking processes of flawed sandstone specimens are investigated. • The relationship between the real-time crack coalescence and the axial stress-strain curve of flawed specimens is considered. • The influences of water and temperature on the rock weathering process are discussed. • The local strong fatigue-damaged zones around the fissure tips of sandstone specimens are also analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we propose a methodology to estimate the spatial distribution of destabilizing rock glaciers, with a focus on the French Alps. We mapped geomorphological features that can be typically found in cases of rock glacier destabilization (e.g. crevasses and scarps) using orthoimages taken from 2000 to 2013. A destabilization rating was assigned by taking into account the evolution of these mapped destabilization geomorphological features and by observing the surface deformation patterns of the rock glacier, also using the available orthoimages. This destabilization rating then served as input to model the occurrence of rock glacier destabilization in relation to terrain attributes and to spatially predict the susceptibility to destabilization at a regional scale. Significant evidence of destabilization could be observed in 46 rock glaciers, i.e. 10 % of the total active rock glaciers in the region. Based on our susceptibility model of destabilization occurrence, it was found that this phenomenon is more likely to occur in elevations around the 0 ∘ C isotherm (2700–2900 m a.s.l.), on north-facing slopes, steep terrain (25 to 30 ∘) and flat to slightly convex topographies. Model performance was good (AUROC = 0.76), and the susceptibility map also performed well at reproducing observable patterns of destabilization. About 3 km 2 of creeping permafrost, or 10 % of the surface occupied by active rock glaciers, had a high susceptibility to destabilization. Considering we observed that only half of these areas of creep are currently showing destabilization evidence, we suspect there is a high potential for future rock glacier destabilization within the French Alps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on global population facing a high probability of land subsidence. Topics include natural or anthropogenic triggers resulting from solid or fluid mobilization underground; reducing aquifer-system storage capacity, causing earth fissures, damaging buildings, and civil infrastructure; and raising awareness and informing decision-making by evaluating potential global subsidence due to groundwater depletion.

Abstract: Accommodation space in the unconfined distal part of low‐gradient fluvial fans facilitates abundant floodplain deposition. Here, the development of crevasse splays plays a key role in the aggradation of alluvial ridges and subsequent river avulsion. This study presents an analysis of different stages in the evolution of crevasse splays based on observations made in the modern‐day Río Colorado dryland fluvial fan fringing the endorheic Altiplano Basin in Bolivia. A generic life cycle is proposed in which crevasse‐splay channels adjust towards a graded equilibrium profile with their lower‐lying distal termini acting as a local base level. Initial development is dominantly controlled by the outflow of floodwater, promoting erosion near the crevasse apex and deposition towards the splay fringes. When proximal incision advances to below the maximum level of floodplain inundation, return flow occurs during the waning stage of flooding. This floodwater reflux leads to a temporary repositioning of the local base level to the deeper trunk‐channel thalweg at the apex of the crevasse‐splay channels. The resultant decrease in the floodplainward gradient of these channels ultimately leads to backfilling and abandonment of the crevasse splay, leaving a subtle local elevation of the floodplain. Consecutive splays form an alluvial ridge through lateral amalgamation and subsequent vertical stacking, which is mirrored by the aggradation of their parent channel floor. As this alluvial ridge becomes increasingly perched above the surrounding floodplain, splay equilibration may cause incision of the levee crevasse down to or below its trunk channel thalweg, leading to an avulsion. The mechanisms proposed in this study are relevant to fluvial settings promoting progradational avulsions. The relatively rapid accumulation rate and high preservation potential of crevasse splays in this setting makes them an important constituent of the resultant fluvial stratigraphy, amongst which are hydrocarbon‐bearing successions. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Twelve years of continuous monitoring of diverse ground properties reveals the dynamics of three ice wedges and adjacent ground in a low‐centered polygon area in Svalbard. The monitoring documented ground displacements, the timing of crack generation, ground thermal and moisture conditions from the surface to the top permafrost, and snow conditions. The focus is on seasonal ground deformation in and around ice‐wedge troughs, interannual variability of ice‐wedge activity and thermal thresholds for ice‐wedge cracking. Seasonal ice‐wedge activity is mainly associated with frost heave and thaw settlement, as well as thermal expansion and contraction. In mid‐ to late winter, temporary expansion and cracking of troughs by thermal contraction occurs during rapid cooling periods. Following intensive ground microcracking events, troughs show rapid expansion and in some cases major cracking in the frozen active layer. A common threshold for cracking is identified by a combination of ground surface cooling below −20°C and a thermal gradient steeper than −10°C m−1 in the upper meter of ground, indicating that cracking requires both a brittle frozen layer and rapid ground cooling. Our results highlight that in marginal thermal conditions for ice‐wedge activity, the primary control on ice‐wedge cracking is rapid winter cooling enhanced by minimum snow cover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The marine-terminating outlet in Basin 3, Austfonna ice cap, has been accelerating since the mid-1990s. Stepwise multi-annual acceleration associated with seasonal summer speed-up events was observed before the outlet entered the basin-wide surge in autumn 2012. We used multiple numerical models to explore hydrologic activation mechanisms for the surge behaviour. A continuum ice dynamic model was used to invert basal friction coefficient distributions using the control method and observed surface velocity data between April 2012 and July 2014. This has provided input to a discrete element model capable of simulating individual crevasses, with the aim of finding locations where meltwater entered the glacier during the summer and reached the bed. The possible flow paths of surface meltwater reaching the glacier bed as well as those of meltwater produced at the bed were calculated according to the gradient of the hydraulic potential. The inverted friction coefficients show the "unplugging" of the stagnant ice front and expansion of low-friction regions before the surge reached its peak velocity in January 2013. Crevasse distribution reflects the basal friction pattern to a high degree. The meltwater reaches the bed through the crevasses located above the margins of the subglacial valley and the basal melt that is generated mainly by frictional heating flows either to the fast-flowing units or potentially accumulates in an overdeepened region. Based on these results, the mechanisms facilitated by basal meltwater production, crevasse opening and the routing of meltwater to the bed are discussed for the surge in Basin 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New species of a gecko of the genus Euleptes is described here—E. klembarai. The material comes from the middle Miocene (Astaracian, MN 6) of Slovakia, more precisely from the well-known locality called Zapfe`s fissure fillings (Devínska Nová Ves, Bratislava). The fossil material consists of isolated left maxilla, right dentary, right pterygoid and cervical and dorsal vertebrae. The currently known fossil record suggests that isolation of environment of the Zapfe`s fissure site, created a refugium for the genus Euleptes in Central Europe (today, this taxon still inhabits southern part of Europe and North Africa—E. europea), probably resulting from the island geography of this area during the middle Miocene. The isolation of this territory might have facilitated allopatric speciation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High resolution digital terrain models (DTMs) generated from airborne LiDAR data and supplemented by field evidence are used to map glacial landform assemblages dating from the last glaciation (Midlandian glaciation; OI stages 2–3) in the central Irish Midlands. The DTMs reveal previously unrecognised low-amplitude landforms, including crevasse-squeeze ridges and mega-scale glacial lineations overprinted by conduit fills leading to ice-marginal subaqueous deposits. We interpret this landform assemblage as evidence for surging behaviour during ice recession. The data indicate that two separate phases of accelerated ice flow were followed by ice sheet stagnation during overall deglaciation. The second surge event was followed by a subglacial outburst flood, forming an intricate esker and crevasse-fill network. The data provide the first clear evidence that ice flow direction was eastward along the eastern watershed of the Shannon River basin, at odds with previous models, and raise the possibility that an ice stream existed in this area. Our work demonstrates the potential for airborne LiDAR surveys to produce detailed paleoglaciological reconstructions and to enhance our understanding of complex palaeo-ice sheet dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Neoproterozoic Cryogenian (‘Marinoan’) Ghaub Formation of northwestern Namibia represents an important founding pillar of the Snowball Earth hypothesis and its derivative, the Panglacial Earth hypothesis. These hypotheses assume oceans and continents covered by thick ice, even in the tropics, which caused a very distinct drop in eustatic sea-level. Over time, strongly increased CO 2 contents of the atmosphere led to sudden ice melting, very substantial sea-level rise, and strong weathering on the continents associated with the deposition of cap carbonates in the newly ice-free oceans. The ongoing controversy about Snowball-type glaciations in Namibia and elsewhere is reviewed, and other hypotheses (Slushball Earth, Waterbelt Earth, Jormungand state of the Earth, Thin Ice state of the Earth, Zipper-Rift Earth, High-Obliquity Earth) are discussed. We prefer the term ‘Waterbelt Earth’ instead of the originally proposed ‘Waterbelt state’ because of the clearer contrast with ‘Snowball Earth’. Because a great deal of information related to Cryogenian glaciations comes from the Ghaub Formation of northwestern Namibia, these hypotheses should be tested independently based on a time-equivalent depositional system. This analogue was found in the carbonate-dominated successions of the Otavi Mountainland (OML), northeastern Namibia, and is highly comparable with the successions in the well-investigated northwest of the country. An extreme eustatic sea-level drop caused by a global glaciation of oceans and continents and imposed on a carbonate platform or ramp such as the one in the OML would have led either to glacial cover or widespread subaerial exposure and extensive erosion, including deeply incised valleys. The presence of such features would strongly support the Snowball Earth hypotheses if tectonic effects did not play a major role. During the postglacial transgression, distinct reworking of the carbonate platform/ramp surface would have occurred, leaving behind lag deposits, as well as infills of incised valleys with fluvial, reworked glacial, and marine deposits. The main objective of our research was to weigh and investigate the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed Snowball Earth model of glacially induced large-amplitude sea-level changes during Ghaub time, and to compare different models to obtain a rough estimate of the amount of glaciation. The study area in the OML includes two different, age-equivalent facies realms: platform sedimentation in the Southern area without diamictites, and slope deposits, including Ghaub diamictites, in the Northern area. The southern, continuously shallow-marine area shows a shallowing-upward succession from the pre-glacial lower Auros Formation, often varve-like laminated shales formed below wave base, to metre-high columnar stromatolites and microbial mat-related carbonates with intervals of vertical tubes (degassing features) of the upper Auros Formation, overlain by cap carbonates of the Maieberg Formation. The columnar stromatolites and the microbial tubestone lithotypes were clearly deposited in the euphotic zone. Indications for tidal conditions or subaerial exposure were not recorded in this platform succession without unconformities. Neither dropstones, nor incised channels, nor transgressive lag deposits were observed. The facies changes from below storm wave base to the photic zone and finally a shallow subtidal zone is explained by a prolonged, modest sea-level fall, partly counterbalanced by subsidence, followed by a slow transgression. In contrast, coarse-grained sedimentary rocks (e.g., oolites, debrites) characterise the time-equivalent successions in the Northern area. Starting with laminated shales at the base, similar to the Southern area, the overlying redeposited oolites and breccias of the Auros Formation show distinct lateral and vertical inhomogeneities and thickness changes, which indicate long-lasting synsedimentary tectonism. The same phenomenon is observed in the overlying diamictites of the Ghaub Formation. Their variable clast content indicates erosion of a strongly uplifted local source area formerly covered by a thick carbonate succession, which was downstripped to the crystalline basement. The prograding diamictite succession with repeatedly intercalated silt-stringers is interpreted as periglacial debris flows into a marine environment. Sparse striated clasts in the diamictites and very rare dropstones (much less common than in northwestern Namibia) are indicators of glaciations somewhere in the area. However, compared with other glacial sequences, e.g. Quaternary periglacial sediments at the forefront of continental ice, dropstones and striated clasts would be expected to be much more common and more uniformly distributed if the entire area was covered by melting continental ice, as proposed in the Snowball/Panglacial Earth scenario. In the Southern area, dropstones would be expected to occur on the flooded platforms/ramps as well, even when diamictites are absent. Both the relatively moderate sea-level change and the less common, irregular distribution of locally concentrated glacial rainouts provide strong evidence against the presence of a thick, laterally continuous ice cover over oceans and continents extending to equatorial areas. The oceans possibly corresponded to the scenario of a Waterbelt Earth or High-Obliquity Earth; evidence of open oceanic water exists, which would have enabled the continued evolution of biota. Glacial ice was present on tropical continents, but its occurrences may have been regional in patches, sourced from mountainous areas, and ice streams would have reached the oceans only locally, unrelated to a thick continental ice cover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floating ice shelves exert a stabilizing force onto the inland ice sheet. However, this buttressing effect is diminished by the fracture process, which on large scales effectively softens the ice, accelerating its flow, increasing calving, and potentially leading to ice shelf breakup. We add a continuum damage model (CDM) to the BISICLES ice sheet model, which is intended to model the localized opening of crevasses under stress, the transport of those crevasses through the ice sheet, and the coupling between crevasse depth and the ice flow field and to carry out idealized numerical experiments examining the broad impact on large-scale ice sheet and shelf dynamics. In each case we see a complex pattern of damage evolve over time, with an eventual loss of buttressing approximately equivalent to halving the thickness of the ice shelf. We find that it is possible to achieve a similar ice flow pattern using a simple rule of thumb: introducing an enhancement factor ~ 10 everywhere in the model domain. However, spatially varying damage (or equivalently, enhancement factor) fields set at the start of prognostic calculations to match velocity observations, as is widely done in ice sheet simulations, ought to evolve in time, or grounding line retreat can be slowed by an order of magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground fissures are a geological hazard with complex formation mechanisms. Increasing amounts of human activity have created more ground fissures, which can destroy buildings and threaten human security. Some ground fissures indicate potentially devastating earthquakes, so we must pay attention to these hazards. This paper documents recently discovered ground fissures in the Hetao basin. These ground fissures are located along the frontal margins of the terraces of the Sertengshan piedmont fault. These fissures are 600–1600 m long, 5–50 cm wide, and at most 1 m deep. These ground fissures emerged after 2010 and ruptured newly constructed roads and field ridges. The deep geodynamic mechanisms within this extensional environment, which is dominated by NE-SW principal compressive shear, involve N-S tensile stress, which has produced continuous subsidence in the Hetao basin and continuous activity along the Sertengshan piedmont fault since the late Quaternary. Trenches across the ground fissures reveal that the fissures are the latest manifestation of the activity of preexisting faults and are the result of creep-slip movement along the faults. The groundwater level in the Hetao basin has been dropping since the 1960s because of overexploitation, resulting in subsidence. When the tensile stress exceeds the ultimate tensile strength of the strata, the strata rupture along preexisting faults, producing ground fissures. Thus, the Sertengshan piedmont fault planes are the structural foundation of the ground fissures, and groundwater extraction induces the development of ground fissures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paleoclimatic/environmental changes of northern Mongolia were investigated by chemical and mineralogical analyses of sediment cores from Lake Hovsgol and Lake Erhel back to 18.9 and 34.3 cal ka BP, respectively. The climate of this region was dry in the glacial period, and wet in the Holocene. Desalination of Lake Hovsgol occurred at 13.2–11.6 cal ka BP, i.e., during the transition from the late glacial to early Holocene. At the same time, ca. 12.82 cal ka BP, deposition in the Lake Erhel area changed from fluvial to lacustrine. Climate of northern Mongolia was humid during the late glacial to the early Holocene period (ca. 10.57–7.24 cal ka BP for the Hovsgol and from ca. 12.82 to 7–8 cal ka BP for the Erhel). This reconstruction differs from that for the more northern Lake Baikal region, which humidification continued from the last glacial period until mid-Holocene. This difference could be attributed to longer period of glacier melting and permafrost thawing around the Baikal and on its watershed, associated with increased summer insolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the mechanism of frost wedging in fractured low-porosity bedrock, we monitored the opening of an artificial 4 mm wide and 80 mm deep crack, cut 20 mm from the end of a rectangular granite block. Two freezing protocols were employed - top-down and bottom-up, the former consisting of short- and long-term variants, lasting 1 and 53 days, respectively. Our results demonstrate that (i) in 1-day experiments, maximum crack widening during top-down freezing is around 0.11 mm, while bottom-up freezing produces only 0.02 mm of deformation; (ii) neither ice nor water pressure causes measurable irreversible crack widening during 1-day tests; (iii) irreversible crack widening is only observed following the 53-day experiment under top-down freezing. Based on these results, we suggest (i) freezing direction plays a key role in determining the magnitude of crack widening; and (ii) freezing duration could be essential for crack propagation. The fracturing is both time-dependent and subcritical; thus, persistent freezing in winter could actually be the active period of crack propagation. This allows us to propose a simplified method to calculate ice pressure according to crack widening. Here we show how freezing direction and duration in ice-filled cracks control the path-dependent efficacy of frost-wedging. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tolhuaca Volcano near Lonquimay in south-central Chile has been the subject of several studies due to its geothermal manifestations, but little is known about the stratigraphy and reservoir potential of the Cura-Mallín Formation forming its basement. Field work and U-Pb dating of detrital zircons allow us to redefine this succession as the Cura-Mallín Group, consisting of the volcano-sedimentary Guapitrío Formation, sedimentary Río Pedregoso Formation, and volcano-sedimentary Mitrauquén Formation. The Río Pedregoso Formation can be subdivided into three formal units, namely the Quilmahue Member, Rucañanco Member, and Bío-Bío Member. The base of the Quilmahue Member interfingers laterally with the base of the Guapitrío Formation, for which a previous K/Ar date of 22.0 ± 0.9 Ma was apparently discarded by the original authors. However, this date is consistent with the stratigraphic position of the Quilmahue Member and new zircon dates from the overlying units, also coinciding with the initiation of an extensional phase in the Bíobío-Aluminé Basin. Deposition of the Quilmahue Member continued throughout the early Miocene, as confirmed by dates of 17.5 Ma reported by previous authors and 16.5 Ma obtained in this study. The Rucañanco Member was deposited during the Serravalian around 12.6 Ma, whereas the Bío-Bío Member was dated at the Serravalian-Tortonian limit (11.6 Ma). Although all three members were deposited in a fluvio-lacustrine environment, they were dominated respectively by flood plains with crevasse splays, lake margins with distributary mouth bars and Gilbert-type deltas, and distal braided and meandering rivers. Whereas the Quilmahue Member was deposited during basin extension, the Rucañanco Member was formed during a period of basin inversion and compression. Temporary tectonic quiescence during deposition of the Bío-Bío Member allowed denudation of the landscape, but around 9.5 Ma tectonism was renewed again during deposition of the Mitrauquén Formation. From a geothermal point of view, the Guapitrío Formation has a low potential to host significant reservoirs due to extensive hydrothermal alteration that produced secondary minerals clogging pore spaces and fractures. In the Río Pedregoso Formation, on the other hand, the Rucañanco Member seems to have the best reservoir potential, as it has relatively thick, semi-permeable sandstones and conglomerates deposited in a lake-margin environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased summer ice velocities on the Greenland ice sheet are driven by meltwater input to the subglacial environment. However, spatial patterns of surface input and partitioning of meltwater between different pathways to the base remain poorly understood. To further our understanding of surface drainage, we apply a supraglacial hydrology model to the Paakitsoq region, West Greenland for three contrasting melt seasons. During an average melt season, crevasses drain ~47% of surface runoff, lake hydrofracture drains ~3% during the hydrofracturing events themselves, while the subsequent surface-to-bed connections drain ~21% and moulins outside of lake basins drain ~15%. Lake hydrofracture forms the primary drainage pathway at higher elevations (above ~850 m) while crevasses drain a significant proportion of meltwater at lower elevations. During the two higher intensity melt seasons, model results show an increase (~5 and ~6% of total surface runoff) in the proportion of runoff drained above ~1300 m relative to the melt season of average intensity. The potential for interannual changes in meltwater partitioning could have implications for how the dynamics of the ice sheet respond to ongoing changes in meltwater production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Eolambia caroljonesa is the most abundant dinosaur in the lower Cenomanian Mussentuchit Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation of Utah, and one of the most completely known non-hadrosaurid iguanodontians from North America. In addition to the large holotype and paratype partial skulls, copious remains of skeletally immature individuals, including three bonebeds, have been referred to E. caroljonesa. Nevertheless, aspects of the postcranial anatomy of this taxon, particularly the pelvic girdle, have remained ambiguous due to the lack of associated postcranial material of larger, more mature individuals. Methodology/Principal findings: Here we describe a recently discovered associated partial postcranial skeleton of a large Eolambia caroljonesa. This specimen, FMNH PR 3847, provides new anatomical data regarding the vertebral column and pelvic girdle, supplementing previous diagnoses and descriptions of E. caroljonesa. A new phylogenetic analysis incorporating information from FMNH PR 3847 places E. caroljonesa as a basal hadrosauromorph closely related to Protohadros byrdi from the Cenomanian Woodbine Formation of Texas. Histological analysis of FMNH PR 3847 reveals that it represents a subadult individual eight to nine years of age. Taphonomic analysis indicates that FMNH PR 3847 was preserved in a crevasse splay deposit, along with an unusual abundance of small crocodylomorph material. Conclusions/Significance: FMNH PR 3847 provides a wealth of new morphological data, adding to the anatomical and systematic characterization of Eolambia caroljonesa, and histological data, revealing new information on growth history in a basal hadrosauromorph. Taphonomic characterization of FMNH PR 3847 and associated vertebrate material will allow comparison with other vertebrate localities in the Mussentuchit Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crevasse-splay deposits form a volumetrically significant component of many fluvial overbank successions (up to 90% in some successions).Yet the relationships between the morphological form of accumulated splay bodies and their internal facies composition remains poorly documented from ancient successions. This work quantifies lithofacies distributions and dimensions of exhumed crevasse-splay architectural elements in the Campanian Castlegate Sandstone and Neslen Formation, Mesaverde Group, Utah, USA, to develop a depositional model. Fluvial crevasse-splay bodies thin from 2.1 m (average) to 0.8 m (average) and fine from a coarsest recorded grain size of lower-fine sand to fine silt away from major trunk channel bodies. Internally, the preserved deposits of splays comprise laterally and vertically variable sandstone and siltstone facies associations: proximal parts are dominated by sharp and erosional-based sandstone-prone units, which may be structureless or may comprise primary current lineation on beds and erosional gutter casts; medial parts comprise sets of climbing-ripple strata and small scale deformed beds; distal parts comprise sets of lower-stage plane beds and complex styles of lateral grading into fine-grained floodbasin siltstones and coals. Lithofacies arrangements are used to establish the following: (i) recognition criteria for crevasse-splay elements; (ii) criteria for the differentiation between distal parts of crevasse-splay bodies and floodplain fines; and (iii) empirical relationships with which to establish the extent (ca. 500 m long by 1000 m wide) and overall semi-elliptical planform shape of crevasse-splay bodies. These relationships have been established by high-resolution stratigraphic correlation and palaeocurrent analysis to identify outcrop orientation with respect to splay orientation. This permits lateral changes in crevasse-splay facies architecture to be resolved. Facies models describing the sedimentology and architecture of crevasse-splay deposits preserved in floodplain successions serve as tools for determining both distance from and direction to major trunk channel sandbodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crushed rock aggregates are widely used as road base and subbase fillings of road. The moisture content of the crushed aggregates changes due to rainfalls and water infiltration from the pavement cracks during the road service period, and this usually brings detrimental effects to the performance of road base and subbase. To investigate the effects of moisture content on the resilient modulus and accumulated strain of crushed aggregates under cyclic loadings, comparative experiments on samples under optimum moisture condition and saturated condition were conducted through a large-scale tri-axial apparatus. Different cyclic stress amplitudes, confining pressures and initial deviatoric stresses were also considered in the experiments. Test results show that the change from optimum to saturated moisture content aggravates the accumulated axial strain and reduces the resilient modulus of the aggregates under cyclic loading. The influence of moisture content on the cyclic behavior of CTAs is related to the factors such as cyclic stress ratio and initial deviatoric stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glacial acceleration is a main source of uncertainty in sea-level-change assessment. Measurement of ice-surface heights with a spatial and temporal resolution that not only allows elevation-change calculation, but also captures ice-surface morphology and its changes is required to aid in investigations of the geophysical processes associated with glacial acceleration. The Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System aboard NASA’s future ICESat-2 Mission (launch 2017) will implement multibeam micropulse photon-counting lidar altimetry aimed at measuring ice-surface heights at 0.7-m along-track spacing. The instrument is designed to resolve spatial and temporal variability of rapidly changing glaciers and ice sheets and the Arctic sea ice. The new technology requires the development of a new mathematical algorithm for the retrieval of height information. We introduce the density-dimension algorithm (DDA) that utilizes the radial basis function to calculate a weighted density as a form of data aggregation in the photon cloud and considers density an additional dimension as an aid in autoadaptive threshold determination. The autoadaptive capability of the algorithm is necessary to separate returns from noise and signal photons under changing environmental conditions. The algorithm is evaluated using data collected with an ICESat-2 simulator instrument, the Slope Imaging Multi-polarization Photon-counting Lidar, over the heavily crevassed Giesecke Brær in Northwestern Greenland in summer 2015. Results demonstrate that ICESat-2 may be expected to provide ice-surface height measurements over crevassed glaciers and other complex ice surfaces. The DDA is generally applicable for the analysis of airborne and spaceborne micropulse photon-counting| lidar data over complex and simple surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This present communication deals with the anatomical identification of wood samples of an ancient archaeological monument in India, Sri Vishnu temple, Kadavallur in Thrissur (Kerala) and the consolidation of fissures and cracks formed due to seasoning over a period of time using neem gum and preservation using cashew nut shell liquid extract. Neem gum which has anti-bacterial qualities and CNSL organic extract which has anti-termite and anti-fungal preservative action are found suitable for conservation and preservation of these sculptures. The active ingredient in organic preservative, CNSL, was analysed using HPLC and compared using UV spectra. The peaks of monoene, diene and triene in anachardic acid are visible in the spectra. The preservative, CNSL, also enhanced the aesthetic appeal of the jack wood sculptures. CNSL-coated jack wood had lower moisture absorption as demonstrated by Karsten tube experiment. The results imply that the strength of the material formed out of neem gum and wood powder used for filling of cracks and fissures can be modified as per requirement using distilled water and that the application is reversible. This method of conservation was found suitable under warm and humid conditions to which these sculptures are subjected to. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weathering microforms associated with exfoliation were investigated on 40 granitic spheroidal boulders identified on Pricopan Ridge (Măcin Mountains) in order to establish a spatial distribution pattern. Continuous thermal monitoring allowed the frequency and intensity distribution assessment of short-term temperature changes triggered by summer storms, of intense day-night amplitudes and frost cycles across a uniform rounded boulder. Rock strength estimated by Schmidt hammer tests differentiates a significantly weaker resistance on the southern face of the boulders (rebound values of 27 to 33) in comparison with the northern face (43-50). The lowest resistance of the north-south cross-boulder profile corresponds to the southern gentle slopes (0°-45°) thus defining the most susceptible area to exfoliation and other weathering processes. It is argued that this low-resistant sector fits well with the maximum frequency and intensity of thermal processes recorded on the low and mid slopes (0°-45°) of the boulders south side, with small differences from one process to another, whilst the sector of 20° to 30° south corresponds to the peak activity of all. In accordance, the overlay map of exfoliated surfaces places the high frequency area on a spherical cap developed similarly (between 5° north and 45° south). The smallest exfoliated surfaces normally appear around 30° south and are inferred to extend in time both to the boulder top and downslope. The correlations between the frequency/intensity maps of thermal processes and the frequency map of exfoliated surfaces point to a complementary action in the exfoliated surfaces development of the short-term temperature changes and diurnal cooling and heating due to the directional insolation effect, as similarly inferred in the development of meridional cracks. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on complex analysis of the latest data, new conclusions have been reached about the features and causes of glacial disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently the Mississippi delta stands as a highly degraded and threatened coastal ecosystem having lost about 25% of coastal wetlands during the 20th century. To address this problem, a $50 billion, 50-year restoration program is underway. A central component of this program is reintroduction of river water back into the deltaic plain to mimic natural functioning of the delta. However, opposition to diversions has developed based on a number of perceived threats. These include over-freshening of coastal estuaries, displacement of fisheries, perceived water quality problems, and assertions that nutrients in river water leads to wetland deterioration. In addition, growing climate impacts and increasing scarcity and cost of energy will make coastal restoration more challenging and limit restoration options. We address these issues in the context of an analysis of natural and artificial diversions, crevasse splays, and small sub-delta lobes. We suggest that episodic large diversions and crevasses (>5000 m 3 s −1 ) can build land quickly while having transient impacts on the estuarine system. Small diversions (<200 m 3 s −1 ) that are more or less continuously operated build land slowly and can lead to over-freshening and water level stress. We use land building rates for different sized diversions and impacts of large periodic inputs of river water to coastal systems in the Mississippi delta to conclude that high discharge diversions operated episodically will lead to rapid coastal restoration and alleviate concerns about diversions. Single diversion events have deposited sediments up to 40 cm in depth over areas up to 130–180 km 2 . This approach should have broad applicability to deltas globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-dimensional particle flow code (PFC3D) was used for a systematic numerical simulation of the strength failure and cracking behavior of rock-like material specimens containing two unparallel fissures under conventional triaxial compression. The micro-parameters of the parallel bond model were first calibrated using the laboratory results of intact specimens and then validated from the experimental results of pre-fissured specimens under triaxial compression. Numerically simulated stress-strain curves, strength and deformation parameters and macro-failure modes of pre-fissured specimens were all in good agreement with the experimental results. The relationship between stress and the micro-crack numbers was summarized. Crack initiation, propagation and coalescence process of pre-fissured specimens were analyzed in detail. Finally, horizontal and vertical cross sections of numerical specimens were derived from PFC3D. A detailed analysis to reveal the internal damage behavior of rock under triaxial compression was carried out. The experimental and simulated results are expected to improve the understanding of the strength failure and cracking behavior of fractured rock under triaxial compression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reconstructions of the vegetation of Europe during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) are an enigma. Pollen-based analyses have suggested that Europe was largely covered by steppe and tundra, and forests persisted only in small refugia. Climate-vegetation model simulations on the other hand have consistently suggested that broad areas of Europe would have been suitable for forest, even in the depths of the last glaciation. Here we reconcile models with data by demonstrating that the highly mobile groups of hunter-gatherers that inhabited Europe at the LGM could have substantially reduced forest cover through the ignition of wildfires. Similar to hunter-gatherers of the more recent past, Upper Paleolithic humans were masters of the use of fire, and preferred inhabiting semi-open landscapes to facilitate foraging, hunting and travel. Incorporating human agency into a dynamic vegetation-fire model and simulating forest cover shows that even small increases in wildfire frequency over natural background levels resulted in large changes in the forested area of Europe, in part because trees were already stressed by low atmospheric CO2 concentrations and the cold, dry, and highly variable climate. Our results suggest that the impact of humans on the glacial landscape of Europe may be one of the earliest large-scale anthropogenic modifications of the earth system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turbulent volcanic jets are produced by highly-energetic explosive eruptions and may form buoyant plumes that rise many tens of kilometres into the atmosphere to form umbrella clouds or collapse to generate ground-hugging pyroclastic flows. Ash injected into the atmosphere can be transported for many hundreds of kilometres with the potential to affect climate, disrupt global air travel and cause respiratory health problems. Pyroclastic flows, by contrast, are potentially catastrophic to populations and infrastructure close to the volcano. Key to which of these two behaviours will occur is the extent to which the mechanical entrainment and mixing of ambient air into the jet by large (entraining) eddies forming the jet edge changes the density of the air–ash mixture: low entrainment rates lead to pyroclastic flows and high entrainment rates give rise to buoyant plumes. Recent experiments on particle-laden (multi-phase) volcanic jets from flared and straight-sided circular openings suggest that the likelihood for buoyant plumes will depend strongly on the shape and internal geometry of the vent region. This newly recognised sensitivity of the fate of volcanic jets to the structure of the vent is a consequence of a complex dynamic coupling between the jet and entrained solid particles, an effect that has generally been overlooked in previous studies. Building on this work, here we use an extensive series of experiments on multi-phase turbulent jets from analogue linear fissures and annular ring fractures to explore whether the restrictive vent geometry during cataclysmic caldera-forming (CCF) eruptions will ultimately lead a relatively greater frequency of pyroclastic flows than eruptions from circular vents on stratovolcanoes. Our results, understood through scaling analyses and a one-dimensional theoretical model, show that entrainment is enhanced where particle motions contribute angular momentum to entraining eddies. However, because the size of the entraining eddies scales approximately with vent width, the extent of entrainment is reduced as the vent width becomes small in comparison to its length. Consequently, our work shows that for specified mass eruption rates, the high length-to-width ratio vents typical of CCF events are more likely to produce pyroclastic flows. We suggest that the enigmatic trend in the geological record for the largest CCF eruptions to produce pyroclastic flows is an expected consequence of their being erupted through continuous or piece-wise continuous caldera ring fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drumlin field at Múlaj€okull, Iceland, is considered to be an active field in that partly and fully ice-covered drumlins are being shaped by the current glacier regime. We test the hypothesis that the drumlins form by a combination of erosion and deposition during successive surge cycles. We mapped and measured 143 drumlins and studied their stratigraphy in four exposures. All exposures reveal several till units where the youngest till commonly truncates older tills on the drumlin flanks and proximal slope. Drumlins inside a 1992 moraine are relatively long and narrow whereas drumlins outside the moraine are wider and shorter. A conceptual model suggests that radial crevasses create spatial heterogeneity in normal stress on the bed so that deposition is favoured beneath crevasses and erosion in adjacent areas. Consequently, the crevasse pattern of the glacier controls the location of proto-drumlins. A feedback mechanism leads to continued crevassing and increased sedimentation at the location of the proto-drumlins. The drumlin relief and elongation ratio increases as the glacier erodes the sides and drapes a new till over the landform through successive surges. Our observations of this only known active drumlin field may have implications for the formation and morphological evolution of Pleistocene drumlin fields with similar composition, and our model may be tested on modern drumlins that may become exposed upon future ice retreat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]