Excavation of Tunnel Valleys and Inner Gorges by Subglacial Meltwater Erosion

Abstract:

Subglacial meltwater erosion (SME) is thought to contribute to the excavation of tunnel valleys and inner gorges, yet the underpinnings of the formation of these landforms remain obscure. Tunnel valleys are large channel-like features (100s of metres to few kilometres wide and up to 10s of kilometres in length) commonly found in the vicinity of former continental ice-sheet margins. The main question concerning their formation is: does SME excavate them gradually or by large subglacial floods? Inner gorges are V-shaped incisions in an otherwise glacially overprinted landscape. The initial assertion of their fluvial origin has recently been disputed, as they have been shown to persist through multiple glaciations and SME has been invoked to explain some inner gorges in Scandinavia and the Alps. The question is therefore: can SME explain the excavation of an inner gorge?

In order to test these hypotheses related to the genesis of tunnel valleys and inner gorges, we use a 1-D model of subglacial hydrology to drive a model of bedrock erosion by total sediment load based on the tools and cover effect. Calculated values of subglacial transport stage in response to ordinary seasonal processes are comparable to those during large floods in rivers. Subglacial floods therefore limit bedrock erosion by transporting sediment farther from the bed, thus inhibiting impacts. Consequently, we find that gradual SME is likely to produce more incision over a glacial cycle. When we simulate the total SME that occurs through a glacial cycle under a synthetic ice-sheet margin, we are able to produce tunnel valleys or inner gorges over the timespan of a glaciation. Based on these results, we propose that (1) tunnel valleys and inner gorges can both be the result of SME, (2) tunnel valleys in bedrock can be formed through gradual processes rather than floods, and (3) SME enhances inner gorge relief.