Articles | Volume 4, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-567-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-567-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
26 Jul 2016
Research article |
| 26 Jul 2016
Morphological properties of tunnel valleys of the southern sector of the Laurentide Ice Sheet and implications for their formation
Stephen J. Livingstone
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN,
UK
Chris D. Clark
Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN,
UK
Related authors
Izabela Szuman, Jakub Z. Kalita, Christiaan R. Diemont, Stephen J. Livingstone, Chris D. Clark, and Martin Margold
The Cryosphere, 18, 2407–2428, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2407-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2407-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
A Baltic-wide glacial landform-based map is presented, filling in a geographical gap in the record that has been speculated about by palaeoglaciologists for over a century. Here we used newly available bathymetric data and provide landform evidence of corridors of fast ice flow that we interpret as ice streams. Where previous ice-sheet-scale investigations inferred a single ice source, our mapping identifies flow and ice margin geometries from both Swedish and Bothnian sources.
Lauren D. Rawlins, David M. Rippin, Andrew J. Sole, Stephen J. Livingstone, and Kang Yang
The Cryosphere, 17, 4729–4750, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4729-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4729-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We map and quantify surface rivers and lakes at Humboldt Glacier to examine seasonal evolution and provide new insights of network configuration and behaviour. A widespread supraglacial drainage network exists, expanding up the glacier as seasonal runoff increases. Large interannual variability affects the areal extent of this network, controlled by high- vs. low-melt years, with late summer network persistence likely preconditioning the surface for earlier drainage activity the following year.
Yubin Fan, Chang-Qing Ke, Xiaoyi Shen, Yao Xiao, Stephen J. Livingstone, and Andrew J. Sole
The Cryosphere, 17, 1775–1786, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1775-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1775-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We used the new-generation ICESat-2 altimeter to detect and monitor active subglacial lakes in unprecedented spatiotemporal detail. We created a new inventory of 18 active subglacial lakes as well as their elevation and volume changes during 2019–2020, which provides an improved understanding of how the Greenland subglacial water system operates and how these lakes are fed by water from the ice surface.
Peter A. Tuckett, Jeremy C. Ely, Andrew J. Sole, James M. Lea, Stephen J. Livingstone, Julie M. Jones, and J. Melchior van Wessem
The Cryosphere, 15, 5785–5804, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5785-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5785-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Lakes form on the surface of the Antarctic Ice Sheet during the summer. These lakes can generate further melt, break up floating ice shelves and alter ice dynamics. Here, we describe a new automated method for mapping surface lakes and apply our technique to the Amery Ice Shelf between 2005 and 2020. Lake area is highly variable between years, driven by large-scale climate patterns. This technique will help us understand the role of Antarctic surface lakes in our warming world.
Izabela Szuman, Jakub Z. Kalita, Marek W. Ewertowski, Chris D. Clark, Stephen J. Livingstone, and Leszek Kasprzak
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 4635–4651, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4635-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4635-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The Baltic Ice Stream Complex was the most prominent ice stream of the last Scandinavian Ice Sheet, controlling ice sheet drainage and collapse. Our mapping effort, based on a lidar DEM, resulted in a dataset containing 5461 landforms over an area of 65 000 km2, which allows for reconstruction of the last Scandinavian Ice Sheet extent and dynamics from the Middle Weichselian ice sheet advance, 50–30 ka, through the Last Glacial Maximum, 25–21 ka, and Young Baltic advances, 18–15 ka.
Emma L. M. Lewington, Stephen J. Livingstone, Chris D. Clark, Andrew J. Sole, and Robert D. Storrar
The Cryosphere, 14, 2949–2976, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2949-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2949-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We map visible traces of subglacial meltwater flow across Keewatin, Canada. Eskers are commonly observed to form within meltwater corridors up to a few kilometres wide, and we interpret different traces to have formed as part of the same integrated drainage system. In our proposed model, we suggest that eskers record the imprint of a central conduit while meltwater corridors represent the interaction with the surrounding distributed drainage system.
Stephen J. Livingstone, Emma L. M. Lewington, Chris D. Clark, Robert D. Storrar, Andrew J. Sole, Isabelle McMartin, Nico Dewald, and Felix Ng
The Cryosphere, 14, 1989–2004, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1989-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1989-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We map series of aligned mounds (esker beads) across central Nunavut, Canada. Mounds are interpreted to have formed roughly annually as sediment carried by subglacial rivers is deposited at the ice margin. Chains of mounds are formed as the ice retreats. This high-resolution (annual) record allows us to constrain the pace of ice retreat, sediment fluxes, and the style of drainage through time. In particular, we suggest that eskers in general record a composite signature of ice-marginal drainage.
Stephen J. Livingstone, Andrew J. Sole, Robert D. Storrar, Devin Harrison, Neil Ross, and Jade Bowling
The Cryosphere, 13, 2789–2796, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2789-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2789-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We report three new subglacial lakes close to the ice sheet margin of West Greenland. The lakes drained and refilled once each between 2009 and 2017, with two lakes draining in < 1 month during August 2014 and August 2015. The 2015 drainage caused a ~ 1-month down-glacier slowdown in ice flow and flooded the foreland, significantly modifying the braided river and depositing up to 8 m of sediment. These subglacial lakes offer accessible targets for future investigations and exploration.
S. J. Livingstone, C. D. Clark, J. Woodward, and J. Kingslake
The Cryosphere, 7, 1721–1740, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1721-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1721-2013, 2013
Izabela Szuman, Jakub Z. Kalita, Christiaan R. Diemont, Stephen J. Livingstone, Chris D. Clark, and Martin Margold
The Cryosphere, 18, 2407–2428, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2407-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2407-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
A Baltic-wide glacial landform-based map is presented, filling in a geographical gap in the record that has been speculated about by palaeoglaciologists for over a century. Here we used newly available bathymetric data and provide landform evidence of corridors of fast ice flow that we interpret as ice streams. Where previous ice-sheet-scale investigations inferred a single ice source, our mapping identifies flow and ice margin geometries from both Swedish and Bothnian sources.
Tancrède P. M. Leger, Christopher D. Clark, Carla Huynh, Sharman Jones, Jeremy C. Ely, Sarah L. Bradley, Christiaan Diemont, and Anna L. C. Hughes
Clim. Past, 20, 701–755, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-701-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-701-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Projecting the future evolution of the Greenland Ice Sheet is key. However, it is still under the influence of past climate changes that occurred over thousands of years. This makes calibrating projection models against current knowledge of its past evolution (not yet achieved) important. To help with this, we produced a new Greenland-wide reconstruction of ice sheet extent by gathering all published studies dating its former retreat and by mapping its past margins at the ice sheet scale.
Benjamin J. Stoker, Helen E. Dulfer, Chris R. Stokes, Victoria H. Brown, Christopher D. Clark, Colm Ó Cofaigh, David J. A. Evans, Duane Froese, Sophie L. Norris, and Martin Margold
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-137, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-137, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The retreat of the northwestern Laurentide Ice Sheet allows us to investigate how the ice drainage network evolves over millennial timescales and understand the influence of climate forcing, glacial lakes, and the underlying geology on the rate of deglaciation. We reconstruct the changes in ice flow at 500-year intervals and identify rapid reorganisations of the drainage network, including variations in ice streaming that we link to climatically-driven changes in the ice sheet surface slope.
Lauren D. Rawlins, David M. Rippin, Andrew J. Sole, Stephen J. Livingstone, and Kang Yang
The Cryosphere, 17, 4729–4750, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4729-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4729-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We map and quantify surface rivers and lakes at Humboldt Glacier to examine seasonal evolution and provide new insights of network configuration and behaviour. A widespread supraglacial drainage network exists, expanding up the glacier as seasonal runoff increases. Large interannual variability affects the areal extent of this network, controlled by high- vs. low-melt years, with late summer network persistence likely preconditioning the surface for earlier drainage activity the following year.
Yubin Fan, Chang-Qing Ke, Xiaoyi Shen, Yao Xiao, Stephen J. Livingstone, and Andrew J. Sole
The Cryosphere, 17, 1775–1786, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1775-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1775-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We used the new-generation ICESat-2 altimeter to detect and monitor active subglacial lakes in unprecedented spatiotemporal detail. We created a new inventory of 18 active subglacial lakes as well as their elevation and volume changes during 2019–2020, which provides an improved understanding of how the Greenland subglacial water system operates and how these lakes are fed by water from the ice surface.
Camilla M. Rootes and Christopher D. Clark
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 71, 111–122, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-71-111-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-71-111-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Glacial trimlines are visible breaks in vegetation or landforms that mark the former extent of glaciers. They are often observed as faint lines running across valley sides and are useful for mapping the three-dimensional shape of former glaciers or for assessing by how much present-day glaciers have thinned and retreated. Here we present the first application of a new trimline classification scheme to a case study location in central western Spitsbergen, Svalbard.
Peter A. Tuckett, Jeremy C. Ely, Andrew J. Sole, James M. Lea, Stephen J. Livingstone, Julie M. Jones, and J. Melchior van Wessem
The Cryosphere, 15, 5785–5804, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5785-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5785-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Lakes form on the surface of the Antarctic Ice Sheet during the summer. These lakes can generate further melt, break up floating ice shelves and alter ice dynamics. Here, we describe a new automated method for mapping surface lakes and apply our technique to the Amery Ice Shelf between 2005 and 2020. Lake area is highly variable between years, driven by large-scale climate patterns. This technique will help us understand the role of Antarctic surface lakes in our warming world.
Izabela Szuman, Jakub Z. Kalita, Marek W. Ewertowski, Chris D. Clark, Stephen J. Livingstone, and Leszek Kasprzak
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 4635–4651, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4635-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4635-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The Baltic Ice Stream Complex was the most prominent ice stream of the last Scandinavian Ice Sheet, controlling ice sheet drainage and collapse. Our mapping effort, based on a lidar DEM, resulted in a dataset containing 5461 landforms over an area of 65 000 km2, which allows for reconstruction of the last Scandinavian Ice Sheet extent and dynamics from the Middle Weichselian ice sheet advance, 50–30 ka, through the Last Glacial Maximum, 25–21 ka, and Young Baltic advances, 18–15 ka.
Jean Vérité, Édouard Ravier, Olivier Bourgeois, Stéphane Pochat, Thomas Lelandais, Régis Mourgues, Christopher D. Clark, Paul Bessin, David Peigné, and Nigel Atkinson
The Cryosphere, 15, 2889–2916, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2889-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2889-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Subglacial bedforms are commonly used to reconstruct past glacial dynamics and investigate processes occuring at the ice–bed interface. Using analogue modelling and geomorphological mapping, we demonstrate that ridges with undulating crests, known as subglacial ribbed bedforms, are ubiquitous features along ice stream corridors. These bedforms provide a tantalizing glimpse into (1) the former positions of ice stream margins, (2) the ice lobe dynamics and (3) the meltwater drainage efficiency.
Emma L. M. Lewington, Stephen J. Livingstone, Chris D. Clark, Andrew J. Sole, and Robert D. Storrar
The Cryosphere, 14, 2949–2976, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2949-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2949-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We map visible traces of subglacial meltwater flow across Keewatin, Canada. Eskers are commonly observed to form within meltwater corridors up to a few kilometres wide, and we interpret different traces to have formed as part of the same integrated drainage system. In our proposed model, we suggest that eskers record the imprint of a central conduit while meltwater corridors represent the interaction with the surrounding distributed drainage system.
Stephen J. Livingstone, Emma L. M. Lewington, Chris D. Clark, Robert D. Storrar, Andrew J. Sole, Isabelle McMartin, Nico Dewald, and Felix Ng
The Cryosphere, 14, 1989–2004, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1989-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1989-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We map series of aligned mounds (esker beads) across central Nunavut, Canada. Mounds are interpreted to have formed roughly annually as sediment carried by subglacial rivers is deposited at the ice margin. Chains of mounds are formed as the ice retreats. This high-resolution (annual) record allows us to constrain the pace of ice retreat, sediment fluxes, and the style of drainage through time. In particular, we suggest that eskers in general record a composite signature of ice-marginal drainage.
Stephen J. Livingstone, Andrew J. Sole, Robert D. Storrar, Devin Harrison, Neil Ross, and Jade Bowling
The Cryosphere, 13, 2789–2796, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2789-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2789-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We report three new subglacial lakes close to the ice sheet margin of West Greenland. The lakes drained and refilled once each between 2009 and 2017, with two lakes draining in < 1 month during August 2014 and August 2015. The 2015 drainage caused a ~ 1-month down-glacier slowdown in ice flow and flooded the foreland, significantly modifying the braided river and depositing up to 8 m of sediment. These subglacial lakes offer accessible targets for future investigations and exploration.
Jeremy C. Ely, Chris D. Clark, David Small, and Richard C. A. Hindmarsh
Geosci. Model Dev., 12, 933–953, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-12-933-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-12-933-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
During the last 2.6 million years, the Earth's climate has cycled between cold glacials and warm interglacials, causing the growth and retreat of ice sheets. These ice sheets can be independently reconstructed using numerical models or from dated evidence that they leave behind (e.g. sediments, boulders). Here, we present a tool for comparing numerical model simulations with dated ice-sheet material. We demonstrate the utility of this tool by applying it to the last British–Irish ice sheet.
Niall Gandy, Lauren J. Gregoire, Jeremy C. Ely, Christopher D. Clark, David M. Hodgson, Victoria Lee, Tom Bradwell, and Ruza F. Ivanovic
The Cryosphere, 12, 3635–3651, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3635-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3635-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We use the deglaciation of the last British–Irish Ice Sheet as a valuable case to examine the processes of contemporary ice sheet change, using an ice sheet model to simulate the Minch Ice Stream. We find that ice shelves were a control on retreat and that the Minch Ice Stream was vulnerable to the same marine mechanisms which threaten the future of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. This demonstrates the importance of marine processes when projecting the future of our contemporary ice sheets.
Thomas Lelandais, Édouard Ravier, Stéphane Pochat, Olivier Bourgeois, Christopher Clark, Régis Mourgues, and Pierre Strzerzynski
The Cryosphere, 12, 2759–2772, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2759-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2759-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Scattered observations suggest that subglacial meltwater routes drive ice stream dynamics and ice sheet stability. We use a new experimental approach to reconcile such observations into a coherent story connecting ice stream life cycles with subglacial hydrology and bed erosion. Results demonstrate that subglacial flooding, drainage reorganization, and valley development can control an ice stream lifespan, thus opening new perspectives on subglacial processes controlling ice sheet instabilities.
Christopher N. Williams, Stephen L. Cornford, Thomas M. Jordan, Julian A. Dowdeswell, Martin J. Siegert, Christopher D. Clark, Darrel A. Swift, Andrew Sole, Ian Fenty, and Jonathan L. Bamber
The Cryosphere, 11, 363–380, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-363-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-363-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Knowledge of ice sheet bed topography and surrounding sea floor bathymetry is integral to the understanding of ice sheet processes. Existing elevation data products for Greenland underestimate fjord bathymetry due to sparse data availability. We present a new method to create physically based synthetic fjord bathymetry to fill these gaps, greatly improving on previously available datasets. This will assist in future elevation product development until further observations become available.
H. Patton, A. Hubbard, T. Bradwell, N. F. Glasser, M. J. Hambrey, and C. D. Clark
Earth Surf. Dynam., 1, 53–65, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-1-53-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-1-53-2013, 2013
S. J. Livingstone, C. D. Clark, J. Woodward, and J. Kingslake
The Cryosphere, 7, 1721–1740, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1721-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1721-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Physical: Geomorphology (including all aspects of fluvial, coastal, aeolian, hillslope and glacial geomorphology)
Post-fire evolution of ravel transport regimes in the Diablo Range, CA
Landscape response to tectonic deformation and cyclic climate change since ca. 800 ka in the southern central Andes
The Aare main overdeepening on the northern margin of the European Alps: basins, riegels, and slot canyons
A simple model for faceted topographies at normal faults based on an extended stream-power law
Testing floc settling velocity models in rivers and freshwater wetlands
River suspended-sand flux computation with uncertainty estimation using water samples and high-resolution ADCP measurements
Barchan swarm dynamics from a Two-Flank Agent-Based Model
A landslide runout model for sediment transport, landscape evolution, and hazard assessment applications
Tracking slow-moving landslides with PlanetScope data: new perspectives on the satellite's perspective
Topographic metrics for unveiling fault segmentation and tectono-geomorphic evolution with insights into the impact of inherited topography, Ulsan Fault Zone, South Korea
Acceleration of coastal-retreat rates for high-Arctic rock cliffs on Brøggerhalvøya, Svalbard, over the past decade
The impact of bedrock meander cutoffs on 50 kyr scale incision rates, San Juan River, Utah
How water, temperature, and seismicity control the preconditioning of massive rock slope failure (Hochvogel)
Large structure simulation for landscape evolution models
Terrace formation linked to outburst floods at the Diexi palaeo-landslide dam, upper Minjiang River, eastern Tibetan Plateau
Width evolution of channel belts as a random walk
Pliocene shorelines and the epeirogenic motion of continental margins: a target dataset for dynamic topography models
Decadal-scale decay of landslide-derived fluvial suspended sediment after Typhoon Morakot
Role of the forcing sources in morphodynamic modelling of an embayed beach
Equilibrium distance from long-range dune interactions
Geomorphic imprint of high mountain floods: Insight from the 2022 hydrological extreme across the Upper Indus terrain in NW Himalayas
A machine learning approach to the geomorphometric detection of ribbed moraines in Norway
Stream hydrology controls on ice cliff evolution and survival on debris-covered glaciers
Time-varying drainage basin development and erosion on volcanic edifices
Geomorphic risk maps for river migration using probabilistic modeling – a framework
Evolution of submarine canyons and hanging-wall fans: insights from geomorphic experiments and morphodynamic models
Riverine sediment response to deforestation in the Amazon basin
Physical modeling of ice-sheet-induced salt movements using the example of northern Germany
Geometric constraints on tributary fluvial network junction angles
A new dunetracking tool to support input parameter selection and uncertainty analyses using a Monte Carlo approach
An evaluation of flow-routing algorithms for calculating contributing area on regular grids
Downstream rounding rate of pebbles in the Himalaya
Automatic detection of instream large wood in videos using deep learning
Examination of Analytical Shear Stress Predictions for Coastal Dune Evolution
A physics-based model for fluvial valley width
Implications for the resilience of modern coastal systems derived from mesoscale barrier dynamics at Fire Island, New York
Quantifying the migration rate of drainage divides from high-resolution topographic data
Long-term monitoring (1953–2019) of geomorphologically active sections of Little Ice Age lateral moraines in the context of changing meteorological conditions
Coevolving edge rounding and shape of glacial erratics: the case of Shap granite, UK
Dimensionless argument: a narrow grain size range near 2 mm plays a special role in river sediment transport and morphodynamics
Path length and sediment transport estimation from DEMs of difference: a signal processing approach
A numerical model for duricrust formation by water table fluctuations
Influence of cohesive clay on wave–current ripple dynamics captured in a 3D phase diagram
Statistical characterization of erosion and sediment transport mechanics in shallow tidal environments – Part 1: Erosion dynamics
Statistical characterization of erosion and sediment transport mechanics in shallow tidal environments – Part 2: Suspended sediment dynamics
Geomorphological and hydrological controls on sediment export in earthquake-affected catchments in the Nepal Himalaya
Optimization of passive acoustic bedload monitoring in rivers by signal inversion
Stochastic properties of coastal flooding events – Part 2: Probabilistic analysis
Field monitoring of pore water pressure in fully and partly saturated debris flows at Ohya landslide scar, Japan
Analysis of autogenic bifurcation processes resulting in river avulsion
Hayden L. Jacobson, Danica L. Roth, Gabriel Walton, Margaret Zimmer, and Kerri Johnson
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1415–1446, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1415-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1415-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Loose grains travel farther after a fire because no vegetation is left to stop them. This matters since loose grains at the base of a slope can turn into a debris flow if it rains. To find if grass growing back after a fire had different impacts on grains of different sizes on slopes of different steepness, we dropped thousands of natural grains and measured how far they went. Large grains went farther 7 months after the fire than 11 months after, and small grain movement didn’t change much.
Elizabeth N. Orr, Taylor F. Schildgen, Stefanie Tofelde, Hella Wittmann, and Ricardo N. Alonso
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1391–1413, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1391-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1391-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Fluvial terraces and alluvial fans in the Toro Basin, NW Argentina, record river evolution and global climate cycles over time. Landform dating reveals lower-frequency climate cycles (100 kyr) preserved downstream and higher-frequency cycles (21/40 kyr) upstream, supporting theoretical predications that longer rivers filter out higher-frequency climate signals. This finding improves our understanding of the spatial distribution of sedimentary paleoclimate records within landscapes.
Fritz Schlunegger, Edi Kissling, Dimitri Tibo Bandou, Guilhem Amin Douillet, David Mair, Urs Marti, Regina Reber, Patrick Schläfli, and Michael Alfred Schwenk
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1371–1389, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1371-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1371-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Overdeepenings are bedrock depressions filled with sediment. We combine the results of a gravity survey with drilling data to explore the morphology of such a depression beneath the city of Bern. We find that the target overdeepening comprises two basins >200 m deep. They are separated by a bedrock riegel that itself is cut by narrow canyons up to 150 m deep. We postulate that these structures formed underneath a glacier, where erosion by subglacial meltwater caused the formation of the canyons.
Stefan Hergarten
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1315–1327, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1315-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1315-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Faceted topographies are impressive footprints of active tectonics in geomorphology. This paper investigates the evolution of faceted topographies at normal faults and their interaction with a river network theoretically and numerically. As a main result beyond several relations for the geometry of facets, the horizontal displacement associated with normal faults is crucial for the dissection of initially polygonal facets into triangular facets bounded by almost parallel rivers.
Justin A. Nghiem, Gen K. Li, Joshua P. Harringmeyer, Gerard Salter, Cédric G. Fichot, Luca Cortese, and Michael P. Lamb
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1267–1294, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1267-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1267-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Fine sediment grains in freshwater can cohere into faster-settling particles called flocs, but floc settling velocity theory has not been fully validated. Combining three data sources in novel ways in the Wax Lake Delta, we verified a semi-empirical model relying on turbulence and geochemical factors. For a physics-based model, we showed that the representative grain diameter within flocs relies on floc structure and that heterogeneous flow paths inside flocs increase floc settling velocity.
Jessica Marggraf, Guillaume Dramais, Jérôme Le Coz, Blaise Calmel, Benoît Camenen, David J. Topping, William Santini, Gilles Pierrefeu, and François Lauters
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1243–1266, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1243-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1243-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Suspended-sand fluxes in rivers vary with time and space, complicating their measurement. The proposed method captures the vertical and lateral variations of suspended-sand concentration throughout a river cross-section. It merges water samples taken at various positions throughout the cross-section with high-resolution acoustic velocity measurements. This is the first method that includes a fully applicable uncertainty estimation; it can easily be applied to any other study sites.
Dominic T. Robson and Andreas C. W. Baas
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1205–1226, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1205-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1205-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Barchans are fast-moving sand dunes which form large populations (swarms) on Earth and Mars. We show that a small range of model parameters produces swarms in which dune size does not vary downwind – something that is observed in nature but not when using earlier models. We also show how the shape of dunes and the spatial patterns they form are affected by wind direction. This work furthers our understanding of the interplay between environmental drivers, dune interactions, and swarm properties.
Jeffrey Keck, Erkan Istanbulluoglu, Benjamin Campforts, Gregory Tucker, and Alexander Horner-Devine
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1165–1191, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1165-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1165-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
MassWastingRunout (MWR) is a new landslide runout model designed for sediment transport, landscape evolution, and hazard assessment applications. MWR is written in Python and includes a calibration utility that automatically determines best-fit parameters for a site and empirical probability density functions of each parameter for probabilistic model implementation. MWR and Jupyter Notebook tutorials are available as part of the Landlab package at https://github.com/landlab/landlab.
Ariane Mueting and Bodo Bookhagen
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1121–1143, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1121-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1121-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigates the use of optical PlanetScope data for offset tracking of the Earth's surface movement. We found that co-registration accuracy is locally degraded when outdated elevation models are used for orthorectification. To mitigate this bias, we propose to only correlate scenes acquired from common perspectives or base orthorectification on more up-to-date elevation models generated from PlanetScope data alone. This enables a more detailed analysis of landslide dynamics.
Cho-Hee Lee, Yeong Bae Seong, John Weber, Sangmin Ha, Dong-Eun Kim, and Byung Yong Yu
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1091–1120, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1091-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1091-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Topographic metrics were used to understand changes due to tectonic activity. We evaluated the relative tectonic activity along the Ulsan Fault Zone (UFZ), one of the most active fault zones in South Korea. We divided the UFZ into five segments, based on the spatial variation in activity. We modeled the landscape evolution of the study area and interpreted tectono-geomorphic history during which the northern part of the UFZ experienced asymmetric uplift, while the southern part did not.
Juditha Aga, Livia Piermattei, Luc Girod, Kristoffer Aalstad, Trond Eiken, Andreas Kääb, and Sebastian Westermann
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1049–1070, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1049-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1049-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Coastal rock cliffs on Svalbard are considered to be fairly stable; however, long-term trends in coastal-retreat rates remain unknown. This study examines changes in the coastline position along Brøggerhalvøya, Svalbard, using aerial images from 1970, 1990, 2010, and 2021. Our analysis shows that coastal-retreat rates accelerate during the period 2010–2021, which coincides with increasing storminess and retreating sea ice.
Aaron T. Steelquist, Gustav B. Seixas, Mary L. Gillam, Sourav Saha, Seulgi Moon, and George E. Hilley
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1071–1089, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1071-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1071-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The rates at which rivers erode their bed can be used to interpret the geologic history of a region. However, these rates depend significantly on the time window over which you measure. We use multiple dating methods to determine an incision rate for the San Juan River and compare it to regional rates with longer timescales. We demonstrate how specific geologic events, such as cutoffs of bedrock meander bends, are likely to preserve material we can date but also bias the rates we measure.
Johannes Leinauer, Michael Dietze, Sibylle Knapp, Riccardo Scandroglio, Maximilian Jokel, and Michael Krautblatter
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1027–1048, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1027-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1027-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Massive rock slope failures are a significant alpine hazard and change the Earth's surface. Therefore, we must understand what controls the preparation of such events. By correlating 4 years of slope displacements with meteorological and seismic data, we found that water from rain and snowmelt is the most important driver. Our approach is applicable to similar sites and indicates where future climatic changes, e.g. in rain intensity and frequency, may alter the preparation of slope failure.
Julien Coatléven and Benoit Chauveau
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 995–1026, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-995-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-995-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The aim of this paper is to explain how to incorporate classical water flow routines into landscape evolution models while keeping numerical errors under control. The key idea is to adapt filtering strategies to eliminate anomalous numerical errors and mesh dependencies, as confirmed by convergence tests with analytic solutions. The emergence of complex geomorphic structures is now driven exclusively by nonlinear heterogeneous physical processes rather than by random numerical artifacts.
Jingjuan Li, John D. Jansen, Xuanmei Fan, Zhiyong Ding, Shugang Kang, and Marco Lovati
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 953–971, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-953-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-953-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we investigated the geomorphology, sedimentology, and chronology of Tuanjie (seven terraces) and Taiping (three terraces) terraces in Diexi, eastern Tibetan Plateau. Results highlight that two damming and three outburst events occurred in the area during the late Pleistocene, and the outburst floods have been a major factor in the formation of tectonically active mountainous river terraces. Tectonic activity and climatic changes play a minor role.
Jens Martin Turowski, Fergus McNab, Aaron Bufe, and Stefanie Tofelde
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2342, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2342, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Channel belts comprise the area that is affected by a river due to lateral migration and floods. As a landform, they affect local water resources, flood hazard, and often host unique ecological communities. Here, we develop a model describing the evolution of channel belt area over time. The model connects the behaviour of the river to the evolution of the channel belt over a timescale of centuries. A comparison to selected data from experiments and real river systems is favourable.
Andrew Hollyday, Maureen E. Raymo, Jacqueline Austermann, Fred Richards, Mark Hoggard, and Alessio Rovere
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 883–905, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-883-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-883-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Sea level was significantly higher during the Pliocene epoch, around 3 million years ago. The present-day elevations of shorelines that formed in the past provide a data constraint on the extent of ice sheet melt and the global sea level response under warm Pliocene conditions. In this study, we identify 10 escarpments that formed from wave-cut erosion during Pliocene times and compare their elevations with model predictions of solid Earth deformation processes to estimate past sea level.
Gregory A. Ruetenik, Ken L. Ferrier, and Odin Marc
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 863–881, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-863-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-863-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Fluvial sediment fluxes increased dramatically in Taiwan during Typhoon Morakot in 2009, which produced some of the heaviest landsliding on record. We analyzed fluvial discharge and suspended sediment concentration data at 87 gauging stations across Taiwan to quantify fluvial sediment responses since Morakot. In basins heavily impacted by landsliding, rating curve coefficients sharply increased during Morakot and then declined exponentially with a characteristic decay time of <10 years.
Nil Carrion-Bertran, Albert Falqués, Francesca Ribas, Daniel Calvete, Rinse de Swart, Ruth Durán, Candela Marco-Peretó, Marta Marcos, Angel Amores, Tim Toomey, Àngels Fernández-Mora, and Jorge Guillén
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 819–839, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-819-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-819-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The sensitivity to the wave and sea-level forcing sources in predicting a 6-month embayed beach evolution is assessed using two different morphodynamic models. After a successful model calibration using in situ data, other sources are applied. The wave source choice is critical: hindcast data provide wrong results due to an angle bias, whilst the correct dynamics are recovered with the wave conditions from an offshore buoy. The use of different sea-level sources gives no significant differences.
Jean Vérité, Clément Narteau, Olivier Rozier, Jeanne Alkalla, Laurie Barrier, and Sylvain Courrech du Pont
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1634, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1634, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Using a numerical model in 2D, we study how two identical dunes interact with each other when exposed to reversing winds. Depending on the distance between the dunes, they either repel or attract each other until they reach an equilibrium distance, which is controlled by the wind strength, wind reversal frequency and dune size. This process is controlled by the modification of wind flow over dunes of various shape, influencing the sediment transport downstream.
Abhishek Kashyap, Kristen Cook, and Mukunda Dev Behera
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1618, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1618, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
High-mountain floods exhibit a significant geomorphic hazard, often triggered by rapid snowmelt, extreme precipitation, glacial lake outbursts, and natural failures of dams. Such high-magnitude floods can have catastrophic impacts on downstream communities, ecosystems, and infrastructure. These floods demonstrate the significance of understanding the complex interaction of climatic, hydrological, and geological forces in high mountain regions.
Thomas J. Barnes, Thomas V. Schuler, Simon Filhol, and Karianne S. Lilleøren
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 801–818, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-801-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-801-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper, we use machine learning to automatically outline landforms based on their characteristics. We test several methods to identify the most accurate and then proceed to develop the most accurate to improve its accuracy further. We manage to outline landforms with 65 %–75 % accuracy, at a resolution of 10 m, thanks to high-quality/high-resolution elevation data. We find that it is possible to run this method at a country scale to quickly produce landform inventories for future studies.
Eric Petersen, Regine Hock, and Michael G. Loso
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 727–745, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-727-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-727-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Ice cliffs are melt hot spots that increase melt rates on debris-covered glaciers which otherwise see a reduction in melt rates. In this study, we show how surface runoff streams contribute to the generation, evolution, and survival of ice cliffs by carving into the glacier and transporting rocky debris. On Kennicott Glacier, Alaska, 33 % of ice cliffs are actively influenced by streams, while nearly half are within 10 m of streams.
Daniel O'Hara, Liran Goren, Roos M. J. van Wees, Benjamin Campforts, Pablo Grosse, Pierre Lahitte, Gabor Kereszturi, and Matthieu Kervyn
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 709–726, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-709-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-709-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding how volcanic edifices develop drainage basins remains unexplored in landscape evolution. Using digital evolution models of volcanoes with varying ages, we quantify the geometries of their edifices and associated drainage basins through time. We find that these metrics correlate with edifice age and are thus useful indicators of a volcano’s history. We then develop a generalized model for how volcano basins develop and compare our results to basin evolution in other settings.
Brayden Noh, Omar Wani, Kieran B. J. Dunne, and Michael P. Lamb
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 691–708, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-691-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-691-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper, we propose a framework for generating risk maps that provide the probabilities of erosion due to river migration. This framework uses concepts from probability theory to learn the river migration model's parameter values from satellite data while taking into account parameter uncertainty. Our analysis shows that such geomorphic risk estimation is more reliable than models that do not explicitly consider various sources of variability and uncertainty.
Steven Y. J. Lai, David Amblas, Aaron Micallef, and Hervé Capart
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 621–640, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-621-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-621-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study explores the creation of submarine canyons and hanging-wall fans on active faults, which can be defined by gravity-dominated breaching and underflow-dominated diffusion processes. The study reveals the self-similarity in canyon–fan long profiles, uncovers Hack’s scaling relationship and proposes a formula to estimate fan volume using canyon length. This is validated by global data from source-to-sink systems, providing insights into deep-water sedimentary processes.
Anuska Narayanan, Sagy Cohen, and John R. Gardner
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 581–599, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-581-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-581-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigates the profound impact of deforestation in the Amazon on sediment dynamics. Novel remote sensing data and statistical analyses reveal significant changes, especially in heavily deforested regions, with rapid effects within a year. In less disturbed areas, a 1- to 2-year lag occurs, influenced by natural sediment shifts and human activities. These findings highlight the need to understand the consequences of human activity for our planet's future.
Jacob Hardt, Tim P. Dooley, and Michael R. Hudec
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 559–579, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-559-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-559-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate the reaction of salt structures on ice sheet transgressions. We used a series of sandbox models that enabled us to experiment with scaled-down versions of salt bodies from northern Germany. The strongest reactions occurred when large salt pillows were partly covered by the ice load. Subsurface salt structures may play an important role in the energy transition, e.g., as energy storage. Thus, it is important to understand all processes that affect their stability.
Jon D. Pelletier, Robert G. Hayes, Olivia Hoch, Brendan Fenerty, and Luke A. McGuire
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1153, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1153, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
On the gently sloping landscapes next to mountain fronts, junction angles tend to be lower (more acute), while in bedrock landscapes where the initial landscape or tectonic forcing is likely more spatially variable, junction angles tend to be larger (more obtuse). We demonstrate this using an analysis of ~20 million junction angles for the U.S.A., augmented by analyses of the Loess Plateau, China, and synthetic landscapes.
Julius Reich and Axel Winterscheid
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-579, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-579, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Analysing the geometry and the dynamics of riverine bedforms (so-called dunetracking) is important for various fields of application and contributes to a sound and efficient river and sediment management. We developed a new tool, which enables a robust estimation of bedform characteristics and with which comprehensive sensitivity analyses can be carried out. Using a test dataset, we show that the selection of input parameters of dunetracking tools can have a significant impact on the results.
Alexander B. Prescott, Jon D. Pelletier, Satya Chataut, and Sriram Ananthanarayan
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1138, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1138, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Many Earth surface processes are controlled by the spatial pattern of surface water flow. We review commonly used methods for predicting such spatial patterns in digital landform models and document the pros and cons of commonly used methods. We propose a new method that is designed to minimize those limitations and show that it works well in a variety of test cases.
Prakash Pokhrel, Mikael Attal, Hugh D. Sinclair, Simon M. Mudd, and Mark Naylor
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 515–536, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-515-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-515-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Pebbles become increasingly rounded during downstream transport in rivers due to abrasion. This study quantifies pebble roundness along the length of two Himalayan rivers. We demonstrate that roundness increases with downstream distance and that the rates are dependent on rock type. We apply this to reconstructing travel distances and hence the size of ancient Himalaya. Results show that the ancient river network was larger than the modern one, indicating that there has been river capture.
Janbert Aarnink, Tom Beucler, Marceline Vuaridel, and Virginia Ruiz-Villanueva
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-792, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-792, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study presents a novel CNN approach for detecting instream large wood in rivers, addressing the need for flexible monitoring methods that can be used on a variety of data sources. Leveraging a database of 15,228 fully labeled images, our model achieved a 67 % weighted mean average precision. Fine-tuning parameters and sampling techniques offer potential for further performance enhancement of more than 10 % in certain cases, promising valuable insights for ecosystem management.
Orie Cecil, Nicholas Cohn, Matthew Farthing, Sourav Dutta, and Andrew Trautz
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-855, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-855, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Using computational fluid dynamics, we analyze the error trends of an analytical shear stress distribution model used to drive aeolian transport for coastal dunes which are an important line of defense against storm related flooding hazards. We find that compared to numerical simulations, the analytical model results in a net overprediction of the landward migration rate. Additionally, two data-driven approaches are proposed for reducing the error while maintaining computational efficiency.
Jens Martin Turowski, Aaron Bufe, and Stefanie Tofelde
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 493–514, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-493-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-493-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Fluvial valleys are ubiquitous landforms, and understanding their formation and evolution affects a wide range of disciplines from archaeology and geology to fish biology. Here, we develop a model to predict the width of fluvial valleys for a wide range of geographic conditions. In the model, fluvial valley width is controlled by the two competing factors of lateral channel mobility and uplift. The model complies with available data and yields a broad range of quantitative predictions.
Daniel J. Ciarletta, Jennifer L. Miselis, Julie C. Bernier, and Arnell S. Forde
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 449–475, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-449-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-449-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We reconstructed the evolution of Fire Island, a barrier island in New York, USA, to identify drivers of landscape change. Results reveal Fire Island was once divided into multiple inlet-separated islands with distinct features. Later, inlets closed, and Fire Island’s landscape became more uniform as human activities intensified. The island is now less mobile and less likely to resist and recover from storm impacts and sea level rise. This vulnerability may exist for other stabilized barriers.
Chao Zhou, Xibin Tan, Yiduo Liu, and Feng Shi
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 433–448, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-433-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-433-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The drainage-divide stability provides new insights into both the river network evolution and the tectonic and/or climatic changes. Several methods have been proposed to determine the direction of drainage-divide migration. However, how to quantify the migration rate of drainage divides remains challenging. In this paper, we propose a new method to calculate the migration rate of drainage divides from high-resolution topographic data.
Moritz Altmann, Madlene Pfeiffer, Florian Haas, Jakob Rom, Fabian Fleischer, Tobias Heckmann, Livia Piermattei, Michael Wimmer, Lukas Braun, Manuel Stark, Sarah Betz-Nutz, and Michael Becht
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 399–431, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-399-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-399-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We show a long-term erosion monitoring of several sections on Little Ice Age lateral moraines with derived sediment yield from historical and current digital elevation modelling (DEM)-based differences. The first study period shows a clearly higher range of variability of sediment yield within the sites than the later periods. In most cases, a decreasing trend of geomorphic activity was observed.
Paul A. Carling
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 381–397, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-381-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-381-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Edge rounding in Shap granite glacial erratics is an irregular function of distance from the source outcrop in northern England, UK. Block shape is conservative, evolving according to block fracture mechanics – stochastic and silver ratio models – towards either of two attractor states. Progressive reduction in size occurs for blocks transported at the sole of the ice mass where the blocks are subject to compressive and tensile forces of the ice acting against a bedrock or till surface.
Gary Parker, Chenge An, Michael P. Lamb, Marcelo H. Garcia, Elizabeth H. Dingle, and Jeremy G. Venditti
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 367–380, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-367-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-367-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
River morphology has traditionally been divided by the size 2 mm. We use dimensionless arguments to show that particles in the 1–5 mm range (i) are the finest range not easily suspended by alluvial flood flows, (ii) are transported preferentially over coarser gravel, and (iii), within limits, are also transported preferentially over sand. We show how fluid viscosity mediates the special status of sediment in this range.
Lindsay Marie Capito, Enrico Pandrin, Walter Bertoldi, Nicola Surian, and Simone Bizzi
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 321–345, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-321-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-321-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We propose that the pattern of erosion and deposition from repeat topographic surveys can be a proxy for path length in gravel-bed rivers. With laboratory and field data, we applied tools from signal processing to quantify this periodicity and used these path length estimates to calculate sediment transport using the morphological method. Our results highlight the potential to expand the use of the morphological method using only remotely sensed data as well as its limitations.
Caroline Fenske, Jean Braun, François Guillocheau, and Cécile Robin
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-160, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-160, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We have developed a new numerical model to represent the formation of ferricretes which are iron-rich, hard layers found in soils and at the surface of the Earth. We assume that the formation mechanism implies variations in the height of the water table and that the hardening rate is proportional to precipitation. The model allows us to quantify the potential feedbacks they generate on the surface topography and the thickness of the regolith/soil layer.
Xuxu Wu, Jonathan Malarkey, Roberto Fernández, Jaco H. Baas, Ellen Pollard, and Daniel R. Parsons
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 231–247, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-231-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-231-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The seabed changes from flat to rippled in response to the frictional influence of waves and currents. This experimental study has shown that the speed of this change, the size of ripples that result and even whether ripples appear also depend on the amount of sticky mud present. This new classification on the basis of initial mud content should lead to improvements in models of seabed change in present environments by engineers and the interpretation of past environments by geologists.
Andrea D'Alpaos, Davide Tognin, Laura Tommasini, Luigi D'Alpaos, Andrea Rinaldo, and Luca Carniello
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 181–199, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-181-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-181-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Sediment erosion induced by wind waves is one of the main drivers of the morphological evolution of shallow tidal environments. However, a reliable description of erosion events for the long-term morphodynamic modelling of tidal systems is still lacking. By statistically characterizing sediment erosion dynamics in the Venice Lagoon over the last 4 centuries, we set up a novel framework for a synthetic, yet reliable, description of erosion events in tidal systems.
Davide Tognin, Andrea D'Alpaos, Luigi D'Alpaos, Andrea Rinaldo, and Luca Carniello
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 201–218, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-201-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-201-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Reliable quantification of sediment transport processes is necessary to understand the fate of shallow tidal environments. Here we present a framework for the description of suspended sediment dynamics to quantify deposition in the long-term modelling of shallow tidal systems. This characterization, together with that of erosion events, allows one to set up synthetic, yet reliable, models for the long-term evolution of tidal landscapes.
Emma L. S. Graf, Hugh D. Sinclair, Mikaël Attal, Boris Gailleton, Basanta Raj Adhikari, and Bishnu Raj Baral
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 135–161, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-135-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-135-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Using satellite images, we show that, unlike other examples of earthquake-affected rivers, the rivers of central Nepal experienced little increase in sedimentation following the 2015 Gorkha earthquake. Instead, a catastrophic flood occurred in 2021 that buried towns and agricultural land under up to 10 m of sediment. We show that intense storms remobilised glacial sediment from high elevations causing much a greater impact than flushing of earthquake-induced landslides.
Mohamad Nasr, Adele Johannot, Thomas Geay, Sebastien Zanker, Jules Le Guern, and Alain Recking
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 117–134, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-117-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-117-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Hydrophones are used to monitor sediment transport in the river by listening to the acoustic noise generated by particle impacts on the riverbed. However, this acoustic noise is modified by the river flow and can cause misleading information about sediment transport. This article proposes a model that corrects the measured acoustic signal. Testing the model showed that the corrected signal is better correlated with bedload flux in the river.
Byungho Kang, Rusty A. Feagin, Thomas Huff, and Orencio Durán Vinent
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 105–115, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-105-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-105-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We provide a detailed characterization of the frequency, intensity and duration of flooding events at a site along the Texas coast. Our analysis demonstrates the suitability of relatively simple wave run-up models to estimate the frequency and intensity of coastal flooding. Our results validate and expand a probabilistic model of coastal flooding driven by wave run-up that can then be used in coastal risk management in response to sea level rise.
Shunsuke Oya, Fumitoshi Imaizumi, and Shoki Takayama
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 67–86, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-67-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-67-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The monitoring of pore water pressure in fully and partly saturated debris flows was performed at Ohya landslide scar, central Japan. The pore water pressure in some partly saturated flows greatly exceeded the hydrostatic pressure. The depth gradient of the pore water pressure in the lower part of the flow was generally higher than the upper part of the flow. We conclude that excess pore water pressure is present in many debris flow surges and is an important mechanism in debris flow behavior.
Gabriele Barile, Marco Redolfi, and Marco Tubino
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 87–103, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-87-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-87-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
River bifurcations often show the closure of one branch (avulsion), whose causes are still poorly understood. Our model shows that when one branch stops transporting sediments, the other considerably erodes and captures much more flow, resulting in a self-sustaining process. This phenomenon intensifies when increasing the length of the branches, eventually leading to branch closure. This work may help to understand when avulsions occur and thus to design sustainable river restoration projects.
Cited articles
Aber, J. S., Croot, D. G., and Fenton, M. M.: Hill-Hole Pair, in: Glaciotectonic Landforms and Structures, Glaciology and Quaternary Geology, Springer Netherlands, 13–28, 1989.
Ankerstjerne, S., Iverson, N. R., and Lagroix, F.: Origin of washboard moraine of the Des Moines Lobe inferred from sediment properties, Geomorphology, 248, 452–463, 2015.
Attig, J. W., Mickelson, D. M., and Clayton, L.: Late Wisconsin landform distribution and glacier-bed conditions in Wisconsin, Sediment. Geol., 62, 399–405, 1989.
Baker, V. R.: The channeled scabland: a retrospective, Ann. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci., 37, 393–411, 2009.
Bluemle, J. P. and Clayton, L. E. E.: Large-scale glacial thrusting and related processes in North Dakota, Boreas, 13, 279–299, 1984.
Boulton, G. S. and Hindmarsh, R. C. A.: Sediment deformation beneath glaciers: Rheology and geological consequences, J. Geophys. Res. 92, 9059–9082, https://doi.org/10.1029/JB092iB09p09059, 1987.
Boulton, G. S., Lunn, R., Vidstrand, P., and Zatsepin, S.: Subglacial drainage by groundwater-channel coupling, and the origin of esker systems: Part 1 – glaciological observations, Quat. Sci. Rev., 26, 1067–1090, 2007a.
Boulton, G. S., Lunn, R., Vidstrand, P., and Zatsepin, S.: Subglacial drainage by groundwater–channel coupling, and the origin of esker systems: Part II – theory and simulation of a modern system, Quat. Sci. Rev., 26, 1091–1105, 2007b.
Boulton, G. S., Hagdorn, M., Maillot, P. B., and Zatsepin, S.: Drainage beneath ice sheets: groundwater – channel coupling, and the origin of esker systems from former ice sheets, Quat. Sci. Rev., 28, 621–638, 2009.
Boyd, R., Scott, D. B., and Douma, M.: Glacial tunnel valleys and Quaternary history of the outer Scotian Shelf, Nature, 333, 61–64, 1988.
Breemer, C. W., Clark, P. U., and Haggerty, R.: Modeling the subglacial hydrology of the late Pleistocene Lake Michigan Lobe, Laurentide Ice Sheet, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 114, 665–674, 2002.
Brennand, T. A. and Shaw, J.: Tunnel channels and associated landforms, south-central Ontario: their implications for ice-sheet hydrology, Can. J. Earth Sci., 31, 505–522, 1994.
Bretz, J. H.: The channeled scablands of the Columbia Plateau, J. Geol., 31, 617–649, 1923.
Bretz, J. H., Smith, H. T. U., and Neff, G. E.: Channeled Scablands of Washington: new data and interpretations, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 67, 957–1049, 1956.
Carling, P. A.: Morphology, sedimentology and palaeohydraulic significance of large gravel dunes, Altai Mountains, Siberia, Sedimentology, 43, 647–664, 1996.
Clarke, G.: Subglacial processes, Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci., 33, 247–276, https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.earth.33.092203.122621, 2005.
Clark, P. U.: Surface form of the southern Laurentide Ice Sheet and its implications to ice-sheet dynamics, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 104, 595–605, 1992.
Clayton, L. and Moran, S. R.: A glacial process-form model, in: Glacial Geomorphology, edited by: Coates, D. R., State University of New York, Binghampton, Springer Netherlands, 89–119, 1974.
Clayton, L. and Moran, S. R.: Chronology of late Wisconsinan glaciation in middle North America, Quat. Sci. Rev., 1, 55–82, 1982.
Clayton, L., Attig, J. W., and Mickelson, D. M.: Tunnel channels formed in Wisconsin during the last glaciation, Special Papers-Geological Society of America, 69–82, 1999.
Clayton, L., Teller, J. T., and Attig, J. W.: Surging of the southwestern part of the Laurentide Ice Sheet, Boreas, 14, 235–241, 1985.
Clayton, L., Attig, J. W., and Mickelson, D. M.: Effects of late Pleistocene permafrost on the landscape of Wisconsin, USA, Boreas, 30, 173–188, 2001.
Cline, M. D., Iverson, N. R., and Harding, C.: Origin of washboard moraines of the Des Moines Lobe: Spatial analyses with LiDAR data, Geomorphology, 246, 570–578, 2015.
Colgan, P. M. and Mickelson, D. M.: Genesis of streamlined landforms and flow history of the Green Bay Lobe, Wisconsin, USA, Sediment. Geol., 111, 7–25, 1997.
Colgan, P. M., Mickelson, D. M., and Cutler, P. M.: Ice-marginal terrestrial landsystems: southern Laurentide Ice Sheet margin, Glacial landsystems, London: Arnold, 111–142, 2003.
Cutler, P. M., Colgan, P. M., and Mickelson, D. M.: Sedimentologic evidence for outburst floods from the Laurentide Ice Sheet margin in Wisconsin, USA: Implications for tunnel-channel formation, Quat. Int., 90, 23–40, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1040-6182(01)00090-8, 2002.
Das, S. B., Joughin, I., Behn, M. D., Howat, I. M., King, M. A., Lizarralde, D., and Bhatia, M. P.: Fracture propagation to the base of the Greenland Ice Sheet during supraglacial lake drainage, Science, 320, 778–781, 2008.
Derouin, S. A.: Deglaciation in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan since the Last Glacial Maximum and its relationship to tunnel valleys found in the Lake Superior basin, PhD dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2008.
Dunlop, P. and Clark, C. D.: The morphological characteristics of ribbed moraine, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 25, 1668–1691, 2006.
Dyke, A. S.: An outline of North American deglaciation with emphasis on central and northern Canada, Quaternary glaciations: extent and chronology, 2, 373–424, 2004.
Evatt, G. W., Fowler, A. C., Clark, C. D. and Hulton, N. R. J.: Subglacial floods beneath ice sheets, Philos. T. Roy. Soc. A, 364, 1769–1794, 2006.
Finnegan, N. J., Roe, G., Montgomery, D. R., and Hallet, B.: Controls on the channel width of rivers: Implications for modeling fluvial incision of bedrock, Geology, 33, 229–232, 2005.
Fisher, T. G. and Taylor, L. D.: Sedimentary and stratigraphic evidence for subglacial flooding, south-central Michigan, USA, Quat. Int., 90, 87–115, 2002.
Fisher, T. G., Jol, H. M., and Boudreau, A. M.: Saginaw Lobe tunnel channels (Laurentide Ice Sheet) and their significance in south-central Michigan, USA, Quat. Sci. Rev., 24, 2375–2391, 2005.
Fowler, A. C.: Mathematical geoscience, Springer-Verlag, London, 2011.
Fowler, A. C., Spagnolo, M., Clark, C. D., Stokes, C. R., Hughes, A., and Dunlop, P.: On the size and shape of drumlins, GEM-International Journal on Geomathematics, 4, 155–165, 2013.
French, H. M. and Millar, S. W.: Permafrost at the time of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in North America, Boreas, 43, 667–677, 2014.
Fricker, H. A., Scambos, T., Bindschadler, R., and Padman, L.: An active subglacial water system in West Antarctica mapped from space, Science, 315, 1544–1548, 2007.
Fullerton, D. S., Bush, C. A., and Pennell, J. N.: Surficial deposits and materials in the eastern and central United States (east of 102 west longitude): US Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Series I-2789, US Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado, USA, 2003.
Gottsche, C.: Die tiefsten Glacialablagerungen der Gegend von Hamburg, Vorläufige Mittheilung, Mittheilungen der Geographischen Gesellschaft in Hamburg, 13, 131–140, 1897.
Greenwood, S. L., Clark, C. D., and Hughes, A. L. C.: Formalising an inversion methodology for reconstructing ice-sheet retreat patterns from meltwater channels: application to the British Ice Sheet, J. Quat. Sci., 22, 637–645, 2007.
Ham, N. R. and Attig, J. W.: Ice wastage and landscape evolution along the southern margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet, north-central Wisconsin, Boreas, 25, 171–186, 1996.
Hewitt, I. J.: Modelling distributed and channelized subglacial drainage: the spacing of channels, J. Glaciol., 57, 302–314, 2011.
Hillier, J. K., Smith, M. J., Clark, C. D., Stokes, C. R., and Spagnolo, M.: Subglacial bedforms reveal an exponential size–frequency distribution, Geomorphology, 190, 82–91, 2013.
Hooke, R. L. and Jennings, C. E.: On the formation of the tunnel valleys of the southern Laurentide ice sheet, Quat. Sci. Rev., 25, 1364–1372, 2006.
Hovius, N.: Regular spacing of drainage outlets from linear mountain belts, Basin Research, 8, 29–44, 1996.
Hughes, T. J.: Ice sheet modelling and the reconstruction of former ice sheets from Geo(morpho)logical field data, Modern Glacial Environments–Processes, Dynamics and Sediments, edited by: Menzies, J., Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd., Oxford, 1995.
Huuse, M. and Lykke-Andersen, H.: Overdeepened Quaternary valleys in the eastern Danish North Sea: Morphology and origin, Quat. Sci. Rev., 19, 1233–1253, 2000.
Janszen, A., Moreau, J., Moscariello, A., Ehlers, J., and Kröger, J.: Time-transgressive tunnel-valley infill revealed by a three-dimensional sedimentary model, Hamburg, north-west Germany, Sedimentology, 60, 693–719, 2013.
Jennings, C. E.: Terrestrial ice streams – a view from the lobe, Geomorphology, 75, 100–124, 2006.
Johnson, W. H.: Ice-wedge casts and relict patterned ground in central Illinois and their environmental significance, Quaternary Res., 33, 51–72, 1990.
Johnson, M. D.: Spooner Hills, northwest Wisconsin: High-relief hills carved by subglacial meltwater of the Superior Lobe, Geol. S. Am. S., 83–92, 1999.
Jørgensen, F. and Sandersen, P. B. E.: Buried and open tunnel valleys in Denmark – erosion beneath multiple ice sheets, Quat. Sci. Rev., 25, 1339–1363, 2006.
Kehew, A. E. and Kozlowski, A. L.: Tunnel channels of the Saginaw lobe, Michigan, USA, in: Applied Quaternary Research in the Central Part of Glaciated Terrain, edited by: Johansson, P. and Sarala, P., Special Paper 69–78, 2007.
Kehew, A. E., Nicks, L. P., and Straw, W. T.: Palimpsest tunnel valleys: evidence for relative timing of advances in an interlobate area of the Laurentide ice sheet, Ann. Glaciol., 28, 47–52, 1999.
Kehew, A. E., Piotrowski, J. A, and Jørgensen, F.: Tunnel valleys: Concepts and controversies – A review, Earth-Sci. Rev., 113, 33–58, 2012.
Kehew, A. E., Ewald, S. K., Esch, J. M., and Kozlowski, A. L.: On the origin of tunnel valleys of the Saginaw Lobe of the Laurentide Ice Sheet; Michigan, USA, Boreas, 42, 442–462, 2013.
Kemmis, T. J., Hallberg, G. R., and Lutenegger, A. J.: Depositional environments of glacial sediments and landforms on the Des Moines Lobe, Iowa: Iowa Geological Survey Guidebook, 1981.
Kleman, J. and Glasser, N. F.: The subglacial thermal organisation (STO) of ice sheets, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 26, 585–597, 2007.
Kozlowski, A. L., Kehew, A. E., and Bird, B. C.: Outburst flood origin of the Central Kalamazoo River Valley, Michigan, USA, Quat. Sci. Rev., 24, 2354–2374, 2005.
Kristensen, T. B., Huuse, M., Piotrowski, J. A., and Clausen, O. R.: A morphometric analysis of tunnel valleys in the eastern North Sea based on 3D seismic data, J. Quat. Sci., 22, 801–815, 2007.
Kristensen, T. B., Piotrowski, J. A., Huuse, M., Clausen, O. R., and Hamberg, L.: Time-transgressive tunnel valley formation indicated by infill sediment structure, North Sea – the role of glaciohydraulic supercooling, Earth Surf. Proc. Land, 33, 546–559, 2008.
Lamb, M. P. and Fonstad, M. A.: Rapid formation of a modern bedrock canyon by a single flood event, Nat. Geosci., 3, 477–481, 2010.
Leeson, A. A., Shepherd, A., Sundal, A. V., Johansson, A. M., Selmes, N., Briggs, K., Hogg, A. E., and Fettweis, X.: A comparison of supraglacial lake observations derived from MODIS imagery at the western margin of the Greenland ice sheet, J. Glaciol., 59, 1179–1188, 2013.
Leopold, L. B. and Maddock Jr., T.: The hydraulic geometry of stream channels and some physiographic implications, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, Geological Survey Professional Paper, 252, 1953.
Leopold, L. B., Wolman, M. G., and Miller, J. P.: Fluvial Processes in Geomorphology, Dover Publications, 1964.
Lesemann, J.-E., Piotrowski, J. A., and Wysota, W.: Genesis of the “glacial curvilineation” landscape by meltwater processes under the former Scandinavian Ice Sheet, Poland, Sediment. Geol., 312, 1–18, 2014.
Limpert, E., Stahel, W. A., and Abbt, M.: Log-normal Distributions across the Sciences: Keys and Clues on the charms of statistics, and how mechanical models resembling gambling machines offer a link to a handy way to characterize log-normal distributions, which can provide deeper insight into variability and probability – normal or log-normal: That is the question, Bioscience, 51, 341–352, 2001.
Livingstone, S. J., Clark, C. D., and Tarasov, L.: Modelling North American palaeo-subglacial lakes and their meltwater drainage pathways, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 1–16, 2013.
Livingstone, S. J., Utting, D., Ruffell, A., Clark, C. D., Pawley, S., Atkinson, N., and Fowler, A. C.: Discovery of relict subglacial lakes: their geometry and mechanism of drainage, Nature Communications, 7, ncomms11767, https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11767, 2016.
Margold, M., Stokes, C. R., and Clark, C. D.: Ice streams in the Laurentide Ice Sheet: Identification, characteristics and comparison to modern ice sheets, Earth-Sci. Rev., 143, 117–146, 2015.
Mickelson, D. M. and Colgan, P. M.: The southern Laurentide Ice Sheet, in: The Quaternary Period in the United States, edited by: Gillespie, A. R., Porter, S. C., and Atwater, A. B. F., Elsevier, 1–16, 2003.
Mooers, H. D.: On the formation of the tunnel valleys of the Superior lobe, central Minnesota, Quat. Res., 32, 24–35, 1989.
Moreau, J., Huuse, M., Janszen, A., van der Vegt, P., Gibbard, P. L., and Moscariello, A.: The glaciogenic unconformity of the southern North Sea, Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 368, 99–110, 2012.
Ó Cofaigh, C.: Tunnel valley genesis, Prog. Phys. Geogr., 20, 1–19, 1996.
Palmer, S., Shepherd, A., Nienow, P., and Joughin, I.: Seasonal speedup of the Greenland Ice Sheet linked to routing of surface water, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 302, 423–428, 2011.
Patterson, C. J.: Tunnel-valley fans of the St. Croix moraine, east-central Minnesota, USA, Formation and deformation of glacial deposits, 69–87, 1994.
Patterson, C. J.: Southern Laurentide ice lobes were created by ice streams: Des Moines Lobe in Minnesota, USA, Sediment. Geol., 111, 249–261, 1997.
Piotrowski, J. A.: Tunnel-valley formation in northwest Germany – geology, mechanisms of formation and subglacial bed conditions for the Bornhöved tunnel valley, Sediment. Geol., 89, 107–141, 1994.
Piotrowski, J. A.: Subglacial hydrology in north-western Germany during the last glaciation: groundwater flow, tunnel valleys and hydrological cycles, Quat. Sci. Rev., 16, 169–185, 1997.
Praeg, D.: Seismic imaging of mid-Pleistocene tunnel-valleys in the North Sea Basin – high resolution from low frequencies, J. Appl. Geophys., 53, 273–298, 2003.
Ravier, E., Buoncristiani, J.-F., Guiraud, M., Menzies, J., Clerc, S., Goupy, B., and Portier, E.: Porewater pressure control on subglacial soft sediment remobilization and tunnel valley formation: A case study from the Alnif tunnel valley (Morocco), Sediment. Geol., 304, 71–95, 2014.
Regis, R. S., Patterson, C. J., Wattrus, N., and Rausch, D.: Relationship of deep troughs in the eastern Lake Superior basin and large-scale glaciofluvial landforms in the central Upper Peninsula of Michigan, North Central Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program, Paper 19–10, 2003.
Rose, K. C., Ross, N., Bingham, R. G., Corr, H. F. J., Ferraccioli, F., Jordan, T. A., Le Brocq, A., Rippin, D. M., and Siegert, M. J.: A temperate former West Antarctic ice sheet suggested by an extensive zone of subglacial meltwater channels, Geology, 42, 971–974, https://doi.org/10.1130/G35980.1, 2014.
Rudoy, A. N.: Giant Current Ripples: History of Research, Their Diagnostics, and Paleogeographical Significance. Tomsk, Russia: Tomsk State Univ., 223 pp, 2005 (in Russian).
Selmes, N., Murray, T., and James, T. D.: Fast draining lakes on the Greenland Ice Sheet, Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, L15501, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011GL047872, 2011.
Shaw, J.: The meltwater hypothesis for subglacial bedforms, Quat. Int., 90, 5–22, 2002.
Shaw, J. and Gilbert, R.: Evidence for large-scale subglacial meltwater flood events in southern Ontario and northern New York State, Geology, 18, 1169–1172, https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1990)018<1169:EFLSSM>2.3.CO;2, 1990.
Shoemaker, E. M.: Subglacial hydrology for an ice sheet resting on a deformable aquifer, J. Glaciol., 32, 20–30, 1986.
Shoemaker, E. M.: On the formation of large subglacial lakes, Can. J. Earth Sci., 28, 1975–1981, 1991.
Shoemaker, E. M.: Subglacial water-sheet floods, drumlins and ice-sheet lobes, J. Glaciol., 45, 201–213, 1999.
Sjogren, D., Fisher, T. G., Taylor, L. D., Jol, H. M., and Munro-Stasiuk, M. J.: Incipient tunnel channels, Quaternary International, 90, 41–56, 2002.
Smed, P.: Die Entstehung der dänischen und norddeutschen Rinnentäler (Tunneltäler) – Glaziologische Gesichtspunkte, Eiszeitalter und Gegenwart, 48, 1–18, 1998.
Soller, D. R., Packard, P. H., and Garrity, C. P.: Database for USGS Map I-1970 – Map Showing the Thickness and Character of Quaternary Sediments in the Glaciated United States East of the Rocky Mountains, US Geological Survey Data Series 656, available at: http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/656, 2011.
Spagnolo, M., Clark, C. D., Ely, J. C., Stokes, C. R., Anderson, J. B., Andreassen, K., Graham, A. G. C., and King, E. C.: Size, shape and spatial arrangement of mega-scale glacial lineations from a large and diverse dataset, Earth Surf. Proc. Land., 39, 1432–1448, 2014.
Stackebrandt, W.: Subglacial channels of Northern Germany – a brief review [Die subglazialen Rinnen Norddeutschlands – ein kurzer Überblick], Zeitschrift der deutschen Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften, 160, 203–210, 2009.
Stewart, M. A. and Lonergan, L.:Seven glacial cycles in the middle-late Pleistocene of northwest Europe: Geomorphic evidence from buried tunnel valleys, Geology, 39, 283–286, 2011.
Stewart, R. A., Bryant, D., and Sweat, M. J.: Nature and origin of corrugated ground moraine of the Des Moines Lobe, Story County, Iowa, Geomorphology, 1, 111–130, 1988.
Storrar, R. D., Stokes, C. R., and Evans, D. J. A.: Morphometry and pattern of a large sample (> 20 000) of Canadian eskers and implications for subglacial drainage beneath ice sheets, Quat. Sci. Rev., 105, 1–25, 2014a.
Talling, P. J., Stewart, M. D., Stark, C. P., Gupta, S., Vincent, S. J.: Regular spacing of drainage outlets from linear fault blocks, Basin Research, 9, 275–302, https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2117.1997.00048.x, 1997.
Ussing, N. V.: Om Jyllands hedesletter og teorierne for deres Dannelse, Oversigt over Det Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskabs Forhandlingar, 2, 1–152, 1903 (in Danish).
Van der Vegt, P., Janszen, A., and Moscariello, A.: Tunnel valleys: current knowledge and future perspectives. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 368, 75–97, 2012.
Wingfield, R.: The origin of major incisions within the Pleistocene deposits of the North Sea, Mar. Geol., 91, 31–52, 1990.
Wingham, D. J., Siegert, M. J., Shepherd, A., and Muir, A. S.: Rapid discharge connects Antarctic subglacial lakes, Nature, 440, 1033–1036, 2006.
Winsborrow, M. C. M., Clark, C. D., and Stokes, C. R.: What controls the location of ice streams?, Earth-Sci. Rev., 103, 45–59, 2010.
Wright, A. and Siegert, M. J.: The identification and physiographical setting of Antarctic subglacial lakes: An update based on recent discoveries, Geoph. Monog. Series, 1–30, 2011.
Wright, H. E.: Tunnel Valleys, Glacial Surges, and Subglacial Hydrology of the Superior Lobe, Minnesota, Geol. Soc. Am. Mem., 136, 251–276, 1973.
Zwally, H. J., Abdalati, W., Herring, T., Larson, K., Saba, J., and Steffen, K.: Surface melt-induced acceleration of Greenland ice-sheet flow, Science, 297, 218–222, 2002.
Short summary
We mapped and analysed nearly 2000 large valleys that were formed by meltwater flowing under a former ice sheet. Our results demonstrate that valleys tend to cluster together in distinctive networks. The valleys themselves are typically < 20 km long, and 0.5–3 km wide, and their morphology is strongly influenced by local bed conditions (e.g. topography) and hydrology. We suggest valleys formed gradually, with secondary contributions from flood drainage of water stored on top of or under the ice.
We mapped and analysed nearly 2000 large valleys that were formed by meltwater flowing under a...
