Moraine

Moraines are classified according to their form, origin and position (see GLACIATION). End (terminal), lateral, medial and recessional moraines, composed of ridges of till, are commonly associated with valley glaciers in mountainous areas. Well-developed examples are present on or near the Athabasca Glacier in JASPER NATIONAL PARK. The ice sheets that covered much of Canada during the ICE AGE produced end, interlobate, hummocky (knob and kettle), ground and a variety of transverse moraines (cross-valley, ribbed, washboard, De Geer, push and recessional) in many parts of the country.

Interlobate moraines, such as the Oak Ridges moraine north of Toronto, were formed between 2 advancing tongues of an ice sheet. Hummocky moraines, composed of irregularly spaced knobs and mounds of till formed by melting glaciers, cover much of the Canadian prairie. Transverse moraines were commonly formed at or near the margin of a glacier terminating on land or in a lake or ocean. Good examples of cross-valley moraines are found along the shores of Hudson Bay and in Labrador.

Author N.W. RUTTER

Links to Other Sites
Life of a Rock Star
This site tells the story of an extraordinary group of scientists who tramped, paddled and rolled across Canada in the nineteenth century to study the geology of Canada's varied terrain.

Geoscape Canada
An extensive information source about the geological history, human settlement patterns, earth and water resources, and natural hazards found in locations across the country. Click on the red symbols on the interactive map of Canada to explore aerial landscapes, maps, photos, colourful online posters, and more. A Geoscape Canada website from Natural Resources Canada.

Glossary: Glacial Features
A glossary of terms that relate to glacial features. Check the rest of the site for additional information. From the Department of Earth Sciences, Simon Fraser University.

Oak Ridges Moraine
Information about the Oak Ridges Moraine, an irregular ridge of sandy hills stretching 160 kilometres from the Trent River to the Niagara Escarpment in Ontario. From the Government of Ontario.