What is Moraine?
[[Image:Glacier.zermatt.arp.750pix.jpg|thumb|Moraines on a side glacier of the [[Gorner Glacier]], [[Zermatt]], [[Switzerland]]. The '''lateral moraine''' is the high snow-free bank of debris in the top left hand quarter of the picture. The '''medial moraine''' is the double line of debris running down the centre-line of the glacier.]] '''Moraines''' are accumulations of [[debris]] that are found in [[region]]s where there are [[glacier]]s or were glaciers formerly. Moraines which are found far off from existing glaciers were created during a past [[ice age]]. The debris may have been taken off the valley floor as a glacier moved or fallen off the valley walls as a result of [[weathering]]. Moraines may be made of [[silt]] like [[Rock flour|glacial flour]] to large [[boulder]]s. Moraines may be on the glacier’s surface or deposited as piles or sheets of debris where the glacier has melted. Moraines may also develop when a glacier or [[iceberg]] reaches the sea and melts, dropping rocks that it has carried. ==Related pages== * [[Landform]] * [[Long Island]] ==References== {{Commonscat|Moraines}} *Easterbrook, D. J. (1999) ''Surface processes and landforms.'' (Second Ed). Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. {{science-stub}} [[Category:Landforms]]