Were deforming subglacial beds beneath past ice sheets really widespread?
a Department of Earth Sciences, University
of Aarhus, C.F. Møllers Allé 120, DK-8000 Århus C,
Denmark
b Department of Geology and Geophysics,
Weeks Hall, University of Wisconsin, 1215 West Dayton Street, Madison,
WI 53711, USA
c Department of Geological Sciences,
101 Slone Building, 0053, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0053,
USA
d Institute of Geography, WSP Supsk,
Partyzantów 27, PL-76-200 Supsk, Poland
e Institute of Geophysics and Geology,
University of Leipzig, Talstraße 35, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
Abstract
The concept of widespread, large-strain deformation of subglacial unconsolidated,
unfrozen, sediments during Pleistocene glaciations has inconsistencies
in the geological record. Numerous properties of tills and related sediments
are difficult to reconcile with pervasive strains, as predicted by the
deforming bed theory. While accepting glacier-bed deformation as a geological
process occurring under certain circumstances, we propose that it was much
less widespread than believed by some. Instead, we believe that basal sliding
and englacial transport are major ice movement and debris-transport mechanisms.
Note the full reply to comments of Boulton et al. on this article are
linked to publication 02-7.