The very bottom of a glacier... |
Perhaps the most important part
of a glacier, from the point of view of a geomorphologist, is the part
right at the bottom where the ice is in contact with the bed.
This is the "business end" of the glacier, where the bulk of the landforming work is done. This is where erosion of the bed occurs, where large amounts of debris are transported through the glacier, and where material can be deposited to form sediments beneath the ice. The ice here, called "basal ice", is different from the ice in the main part of the glacier above... |
...isn't always easy to find! |