The glaciated valley landsystem of Morsárjökull, southeast Iceland

• Main Authors: Evans, David J. A., Ewertowski, Marek, Orton, Chris
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Taylor & Francis 2017
• Subjects: Space Science; 29999 Physical Sciences not elsewhere classified; FOS Physical sciences; Medicine; 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified; FOS Earth and related environmental sciences; Sociology; FOS Sociology; 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified; FOS Biological sciences; Cancer; Morsárjökull; Vatnajökull; glacier; Ice cap; Iceland
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.5607652.v1; https://figshare.com/articles/The_glaciated_valley_landsystem_of_Mors_rj_kull_southeast_Iceland/5607652/1

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.