Midland City Forest is comprised of 520 acres of hardwoods and pines. Perfect for year-round outdoor activities. During winter City Forest activities include cross country ski trails, outdoor skating rink and a large sled hill available for public use. The sledding hill is available at your own risk and is lighted for night use. City Forest provides 7.58 miles of groomed trails including a .7 mile lighted loop. Excellent for cross country skiing or snowshoeing. Trails range from beginner to advanced levels. Once the snow melts, the fun does not stop at City Forest. The forest itself becomes a popular area for nature lovers. The many miles of hiking/cross country ski trails are a great place for a nature hike or jog. With nearly 8 (7.92) miles of trails in total. In addition there are 13.1 miles of mountain biking trails that are open year-round. With plenty of steep hills, twists and turns, these trails provide an exciting ride even for experienced riders.
The Lesson:
Glaciers form hills, primarily called "drumlins," by depositing sediment and debris they carry as they move across the land, creating mounds of material when the glacier melts, often forming elongated, oval-shaped hills aligned with the direction of the glacier's flow; this process is called glacial deposition.
A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a glacier or ice sheet. It may consist of partly rounded particles ranging in size from boulders (in which case it is often referred to as boulder clay) down to gravel and sand, in a groundmass of finely-divided clayey material sometimes called glacial flour. Lateral moraines are those formed at the side of the ice flow, and terminal moraines are those formed at the foot, marking the maximum advance of the glacier. Other types of moraine include ground moraines (till-covered areas forming sheets on flat or irregular topography) and medial moraines (moraines formed where two glaciers meet).
A medial moraine is a ridge of debris in the middle of a glacier that forms when two glaciers meet. It's made up of rocks and dirt from the edges of the glaciers' valleys.
How it forms
Two glaciers meet and their lateral moraines are pushed together. The debris from the glaciers' edges is carried on top of the new, larger glacier. The debris forms a long, narrow ridge in the middle of the glacier
What it looks like
Medial moraines are usually thin, surficial features on the glacier. They are often made of rock that fell from a rockwall where the glaciers meet. They are roughly parallel to the direction of the glacier's movement.
A lateral moraine is a ridge of debris that forms along the side of a glacier. It's made of rocks and soil that the glacier erodes from the valley walls as it moves.
How are lateral moraines formed?
As a glacier moves, it scrapes away soil and rock from the valley walls. The debris is deposited at the top of the glacier's edges. When the glacier melts, the debris is left behind as a ridge.
Where are lateral moraines found?
Lateral moraines are usually found in matching ridges on either side of a glacier. They can be found in the ablation zone, where more ice melts than accumulates as snow.
Supraglacial moraines are piles of debris and rocks that accumulate on the surface of a glacier. They form when debris falls onto the glacier from the surrounding landscape.
How are supraglacial moraines formed?
Debris from the landscape: Rocks, dust, dirt, and other debris fall onto the glacier from the surrounding landscape
Melting surface ice: When surface ice melts, it can release debris onto the glacier
Ice flow: Ice flow can cause debris to accumulate on the glacier's surface
Glacier contact with water: When a glacier comes into contact with a body of water, such as a lake or ocean, it can accumulate supraglacial sediments
A terminal moraine is a ridge of rocks and debris that forms at the edge of a glacier, marking the furthest point it reached. It's also known as an end moraine.
How it forms
The glacier's front edge pushes debris, like rocks and soil, to the front of the glacier. The debris is deposited in an unsorted pile at the glacier's edge. The moraine forms a ridge that mirrors the shape of the glacier's edge at the time of deposition.
To Log This Cache:
1) What type of moraine is displayed here? Explain.
2) What is the degree of the slope? (Hint: there's an app for this)
3) Any signs of the hill fading away here?
4) Take a pic at ground zero or anywhere nearby. If you do not want to be in the pic, take an original pic.