Samstag, 24. Mai 2008

Folds and faults

Inspired by the observations of The Lost Geologist, here some thoughts on ice and folds:
Folds and faults in geological formations can rappresent zones, where chemical and mechanical erosion can be more effectiv then in undisturbed rocks. So creeks and glaciers tend to erode stronger this structures, forming characteristic landscapes. The picture shows an active rockglacier in the Hohe-Gaisl-massiv, south tyrolean Dolomites, formed in that was remain of an (glacial) eroded hughe fold.


The tectonically "broken and shattered" lithology provides hughe amounts of detritus (by thaw-freeze cycles), that play an important role in phenomenon of masstransport of mountains, p.e. debris flows, or rockglaciers.
On the same just mentioned rockglacier, a hughe fold in the jurassic limestone provides detritus, that first accumulates on the debriscones on the basis of the rockwall, and then is incorporated in a creeping detrituslobus in front.

1 Kommentar:

Mathias hat gesagt…

you have some nice fotos from the alps with folds, too! very nice to see and read.

judging from the names of glaciers and sources your cite on your mammal blog, do you speak or understand german? just curious. :)