This is a landscape composed of striped mud layers deposited in glacial melt lakes. Glaciers melt rapidly during the summer, and in the presence of abundant meltwater, large quantities of sand and mud are transported to the lake. The sand or silt grains rapidly sink to the bottom, but the clayey particles float in the water. During the winter, the floating clay gradually settles on the sand, forming a yearly depositional layer of coarse and fine grains. This process repeats every year and forms glacial varves with alternating bands. Varves are also called seasonal mud.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this entry
Cite this entry
(2020). Glacial Varve Landscape. In: Chen, A., Ng, Y., Zhang, E., Tian, M. (eds) Dictionary of Geotourism. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2538-0_911
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2538-0_911
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-13-2537-3
Online ISBN: 978-981-13-2538-0
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences