Eskers are curious glaciofluvial features associated with the ablation (melting away) of continental glaciers. Describe in your own words and with a labeled sketch how eskers form. Formation of Eskers

Formation of Eskers

Eskers are winding, ridgelike deposits of glaciofluvial sediment (Shugar and Anderson, 2015) left behind by continental glaciers as they ablate (Leverington et al., 2004). The sediment is initially deposited in tunnels beneath the glacier by streams of water that are produced by the melting of ice. As the glacier melts, the sediment is deposited in ridges as the water flows beneath the glacier and emerges out the other side. These ridges, or eskers, can form intricate networks of winding ridges that vary in size, shape, and length. When the glacier melts, the tunnels are left behind and the sediment is exposed to the surface. This sediment is mainly composed of gravel, cobbles, and boulders (Shugar and Anderson, 2015). As the glacier continues to melt, the sediment is transported further away from the glacier and deposited in the form of ridges along the former path of the glacier. The sediment is held together by the ice that remains in the tunnels, allowing the sediment to remain in the form of ridges as the glacier continues to melt and the sediment is transported away (Leverington et al., 2019). Cont…