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I just don't understand ESKERS!

Please can someone help me for my As geography exam, I just don't understand eskers at all, I have asked my teacher who didn't help me very much at all and I have looked on the internet. I'm hoping someone here might be able to help me. Many thanks in advance!!!

Reply 1

kingdoo

Original post by E.Thomas

Coolgeography.com is good for cold environments.

But anyway.

As you know they are a landform of fluvialglacial (meltwater).

Basically melt water is high due to seasonal variations i.e. summer melting. This causes the meltwater which is carrying a lot of sediment (mainly smaller due to attrition). The melt water goes into tunnels. The water is so fast it can go up small gradients due to hydrostatic pressure. When the winter months come the sediment is dropped due to a decrease in velocity. Then the glacier overtime retreats leaving either a small or very large sinous ridge called an esker. It is sinuous because the tunnels are bendy like meanders. :biggrin: