New York Moraines

Abstract

Introduction This writing is the outgrowth of an attempt to produce a correct map of the western New York moraines. The map in later use, figure 2, is fanciful in its exaggeration. This new map, figure 1, is not beautiful, but truthful. It tells nothing but the truth, but fails of necessity to tell all of the facts relating to terminal drift. The latter is practically impossible, for no one would tramp over all the acres of the State and with unfailing discernment discriminate the weak and obscure frontal drift from the other classes of ice and water deposits. We know that the receding and oscillating front of the waning glacier swept over every foot of ground north of the terminal moraine. But the innumerable lines of the ice-front positions have little scientific importance, although of possible local interest. The more massive and continuous morainic belts are of geologic value, . . .