Differences between glacial and fluvioglacial deposits

Size
1. Glacial till deposits tend to be much coarser and larger than fluvioglacial deposits
  1. Due to the energy required for transport
Shape
1. Glacial till is angular where fluvioglacial deposits are sub-rounded to rounded because of the process of attrition that can occur as material is carried by meltwater
Degree of sorting
1. Glacial till is a random mix of different sized deposits.
  1. Fluvioglacial deposits are sorted, with the coarsest deposits deposited first as loss of energy occurs upon meltwater streams exiting snout of glacier
    1. Finer material can be transported further as they required less energy and are deposited further from the snout
Stratification
1. Fluvioglacial till deposits are layered vertically due to the seasonal nature of meltwater - glacial till deposits are not.
Location
1. Fluvioglacial deposits are usually found beyond the limits of the ice, whereas glacial deposits never are.

Resource summary

	Created by EmmaSmile almost 12 years ago