The glaciated valley landsystem of Morsárjökull, southeast Iceland

Evans, D.J.A.; Ewertowski, M.; Orton, C.

Abstract

A 1:4470 map of the Morsárjökull foreland, southern Iceland shows the spatial distribution of post Little Ice Age glacial sediment–landform associations pertaining to the operation of a typical active temperate outlet glacier of the south Vatnajökull ice cap. The map depicts an exemplar for the debris-charged glaciated valley landsystem, with characteristics further indicative of ‘uncovered alpine glaciers’, such as the uneven distribution of moraine volume, the localized appearance of a fluted subglacial bed and within-valley lateral moraine asymmetry. Such glaciers are characterized by strong glacier-climate coupling, because temporally and spatially sporadic rock avalanche-type medial moraines can only locally retard ablation. This morainic debris also has a short residence time in the glacier system due to its strong coupling with the proglacial fluvial system and resulting in efficient sediment transfer. Areas of more substantial latero-frontal moraine document phases of rock slope failure onto the snout and the passage of the debris to the ice margin.

Citation

Evans, D., Ewertowski, M., & Orton, C. (2017). The glaciated valley landsystem of Morsárjökull, southeast Iceland. Journal of Maps, 13(2), 909-920. https://doi.org/10.1080/17445647.2017.1401491

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 2, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Nov 16, 2017
• Publication Date: Nov 16, 2017
• Deposit Date: Jan 11, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 12, 2018
• Journal: Journal of Maps
• Electronic ISSN: 1744-5647
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 13
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 909-920
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17445647.2017.1401491
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1337114