Moraine Morphology

ABSTRACT

A few morphologically characteristic moraine types are discussed with regard to their regional distribution. These are: Rogen moraine. De Geer moraines, a few other types of transverse ridges, Veiki moraine with its different subtypes, and drumlinized hummocky moraine. Most of them display a characteristic regional distribution, which gives us a certain zonation of Sweden. The zones are supposed to have a glaciological significance with regard to the last Scandinavian icesheet and its wastage. From south to north we can identify the following zones: 1) On the west coast an end moraine zone of active, possibly cold-based ice, eastwards passing into 2) a zone of ridges formed at the stagnancy of a formerly active, cold-based ice; 3) a zone of subglacial features formed by active, warm-based ice; 4) the Younger Dryas moraines, etc., formed mainly subaquatically by active ice; 5) a zone of De Geer moraines formed subaquatically at the retreat of a disintegrating ice front and possibly representing the transition from cold-based to warm-based conditions: 6) in the north the De Geer moraine zone containing ridges of Kalix till indicating warm-based conditions; 7) around the highest coastline a zone of drumlinoid features formed by active ice; 8) an extensive inland zone of Rogen moraine reflecting either the active, warm-based zone of the ice sheet, or a combination of cold- based and warm-based forms; 9) in the southeastern part of zone 8 a zone with drumlinized hummocky moraine of unknown significance; 10) in the north a zone of Veiki moraine indicating areal wastage of warm-based ice; and 11) in the extreme north a drumlin region belonging to the active zone of the ice sheet.