Characteristics of till transported by the Byrd and Nimrod Glaciers, Antarctica

• Main Authors: K. J. Licht, E. F. Palmer
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Byrd; Nimrod; Byrd Glacier; Nimrod Glacier; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.562.8516; http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1047/ea/of2007-1047ea114.pdf

Summary Particle size distributions were measured from till samples collected at seventeen moraines along the Byrd and Nimrod Glaciers. All sites are dominated by sand- and gravel-sized material with distinct spatial patterns in the silt and clay content. Till from the north side of Byrd Glacier and tills along the trunk of Nimrod glacier have variable modes in the sand fraction and <5 % clay. The tills are primarily derived from locally eroded bedrock. Moraines at the base of nunataks found at the head of both glaciers contain 15 %-70 % fines (silt plus clay) and are interpreted to represent the presence of subglacially-derived sediment.