Definition

Meltwater channels are commonly defined as channels cut by glacial meltwater under
(sublacial), along (lateral or marginal) and in front of (proglacial) an ice margin. They can vary
greatly in size, from short and shallow furrows to the so-called Tunnel valleys reaching as much
as 100 km in lengths, several kilometers in width and several hundred meters in depth. The
individual channel morphology is also highly variable. They may be deep and narrow canyons
cut in bedrock, V-shaped channels cut in sediment, as is common in steep terrain due to slope
processes, or shallow and flat-floored with steep sides in gentle sediment terrain.

Formation processes

Topography-controlled melwater channels

Proglacial meltwater erosion does not in principle differ from fluvial erosion, but the amount of
water during deglaciation of large ice masses was potentially extremely powerful, and some
channels became very large or areally widespread, such as the famous Channeled Scabland in
Washington State, USA, which was cut by jökulhlaups (glacial lake catastrophic drainages).
Small streams that flow in large channels today are sometimes referred to as "misfit rivers", as
they are considered to be too small to have eroded the large channel. The channels are then
often assumed to be glaciofluvial in origin.

Ice-controlled (ice-directed) meltwater channels

This type of channel is formed at the ice margin or sub-glacially. Channels formed laterally
along an ice tongue or against a nunatak during deglaciation occur as series of parallel
channels at successively lower altitude. They are normally dry today, since they are running
more or less perpendicular to today’s drainage system. Terms used for this type of channels are
lateral, marginal or sub-marginal channels (Sw. israndrännor, skvalrännor). In situations where
the ice was stagnant during deglaciation water could penetrate sub-glacially from a lateral
position, creating downhill chutes (Sw. slukrännor). These chutes are typically associated with
lateral channels on the slopes and eskers in the valley bottom. Another type is breach channels
(Sw. överspolningsrännor) breaching drainage divides.

Sub-glacial meltwater creates channels in the basal ice or in the glacier bed. The latter are
called Nye channels and are typically up to a few kilometers long and a few tens of meters
wide. The channels are aligned more or less parallel to the former glacier flow and reflect the
sub-glacial drainage system. They can be single features or they can be part of a dendritic or
anastomosing channel system. Nye channels can run uphill since it is the hydrostatic pressure
gradient that drives sub-glacial meltwater drainage. Tunnel valleys, mentioned above, belong
to this category but the large dimensions call for a special and more complex origin than
normal Nye channels. In channels formed in bedrock, i.e. canyons, heavy sediment load and
cavitation may have contributed to fast erosion. This is particularly true for channels created
during catastrophic draining of ice-dammed lakes.

Paleoglaciological significance

Proglacial meltwater forms a part of the general fluvial drainage system, and today’s drainage
often uses former glacial meltwater routes. It may therefore be difficult to determine whether a
channel in a former glaciated landscape is glacial or fluvial.

Glacial meltwater channels that are part of a consistent deglaciation drainage system can be
used in reconstructing ice flow direction and ice retreat. Channels that are cut by meltwater
channels or overridden by flutes should not be used. Nye channels, and eskers, show the
general direction of ice flow. Lateral channels and breach channels indicate the inclination of
the ice surface. Using lateral channels we can follow the successive retreat of the ice margin.
Nye channels, eskers, short lateral channels, and sub-lateral chutes indicate temperate ice.
Long persistent channel systems indicate cold surface ice. A high frequency of chutes may
indicate that the ice was stagnant while downwasting.

Google Earth examples (right click and select 'save link as' to download)

References

Benn, D.I., Evans, D.J.A., 2010. Glaciers and glaciation. Hodder Education.
Clayton L., Attig J.W., Mickelson D.M., 1999. Tunnel channels formed in Wisconsin during the last
glaciation. In Mickelson, D.M., Attig, J.W. (Eds.): Glacial Processes Past and Present, Geological
Society of America, 69-82.
Dyke, A.S., 1993. Landscapes of cold-centered Late Wisconsinan ice caps, Arctic Canada.
Progress in Physical Geography 17, 223-247.
Greenwood, S. L., Clark, C.D., Hughes, A.L.C., 2007. Formalising an inversion methodology for
reconstructing ice-sheet retreat patterns from meltwater channels: application to the British Ice
Sheet. Journal of Quaternary Science 22, 637-645.
Jansen, J.D., Codilean, A.T., Stroeven, A.P., Fabel, D., Hättestrand, C., Kleman, J., Harbor, J.M.,
Heyman, J., Kubik, P.W., Xu, S., 2014. Inner gorges cut by subglacial meltwater during
Fennoscandian ice sheet decay. Nature Communications 5, 3815.
Maag, H., 1969. Ice dammed lake and marginal glacial drainage on Axel Heiberg Island. McGill
University.
Kleman, J., Borgström, I., Robertsson, A.-M., Lilliesköld, M. 1992. Morphology and stratigraphy
from several deglaciations in the Transtrand mountains, western Sweden. Journal of Quaternary
Science 7, 1-17.
Rodhe, L., 1988. Glaciofluvial channels formed prior to the last deglaciation: examples from
Swedish Lapland. Boreas 17, 511-516.
Sissons, J.B., 1963. The glacial drainage system around Carlops, Peebleshire, Transactions and
Papers (Institute of British Geographers) 32, 95-111.