Composition and genesis of glacial hummocks, western Wisconsin, USA

Abstract

Glacial hummocks associated with the Superior Lobe in western Wisconsin are stagnant‐ice features composed of melt‐out till, meltwater‐stream sediment, and flow till. The greater proportion of melt‐out till in these hummocks than in hummocks described elsewhere suggests that a model of extensive, supraglacial reworking of supraglacially released debris does not apply to the western Wisconsin hummocks. Interpretation of melt‐out till in hummock exposures is based on its strong fabric oriented parallel to regional ice‐flow direction. Other features of this melt‐out till include poorly developed stratification (color banding and discontinuous thin sandy lenses), and minor faulting, both of which support a melt‐out origin. We suggest that as stagnant, debris‐rich ice began to melt, supraglacially released debris was deposited as flow till and meltwater‐stream sediment (with some debris‐flow sediment and lake sediment), but as the thickness of supraglacial debris increased, debris melting out at depth was stabilized, allowing features characteristic of melt‐out till to be retained. Because the supraglacial debris was sandy and the stagnant ice was likely at the pressure‐melting point, the supraglacial debris was well drained and did not readily fail and flow. Debris volume in the glacier generally was greater at the glacier margin, but lateral and longitudinal variations within this zone were caused by thrusting, freezing‐on, or ice‐margin fluctuations, which in turn resulted in variations in hummock relief. Ice‐walled‐lake plains are commonly associated with the hummocks and developed where debris volume was small.