Geomorphology

Imaggeo On Monday: Ice-coated roots at sunset

Katja Laute December 14, 2020

Ice-coated roots at sunset . Credit: Katja Laute (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

The coating by the ice and the icicles are created through the interplay of wave action and the simultaneous freezing of the water around the exposed tree roots. The reason for the exposed tree roots is increased bank erosion due to a rather unusual circumstance. The combination of the lake not yet being frozen in early winter, and strong winter storms, make it very easy for the waves to erode the ...[Read More]

Imaggeo On Monday: Desert Varnish, Antarctica Style

Martha Cary Eppes November 30, 2020

Desert Varnish, Antarctica Style . Credit: Martha Cary Eppes (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

This photograph highlights the oxidized surface of diorite boulders, which fall from the ice at the base of the Mullins Glacier in Beacon Valley, Antarctica when the ice moves directly from a solid state into a gas state, without becoming a liquid in between (a process called sublimation). The particular features (morphology) of the varnish and the desert pavement of this unique environment are re ...[Read More]

Imaggeo On Monday: Great Sand Dunes Sunset

John Counts November 23, 2020

Great Sand Dunes Sunset . Credit: John Counts (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

On a late afternoon in Colorado’s Great Sand Dunes, the sun came out from behind the clouds for a brief moment before it went behind the horizon, illuminating the stoss side of an eroding dune. Sand originated from lacustrine deposits in the San Luis Valley; the Sangre de Cristo mountains, which can be seen in the background, provided a source of some of the sand. This image therefore illust ...[Read More]

Travels in Geology: A World Turned Upside Down

Terri Cook March 27, 2020

North Table Mountain in Golden, Colorado (Photo credit: Terri Cook).

Last weekend, with a strict, stay-at-home coronavirus order looming on the horizon, I decided to practice social distancing by escaping on one last hike. Since I’m currently in Colorado, I chose to climb North Table Mountain, the remnant of an ancient basalt lava flow located on the outskirts of Denver. Locally this mesa, along with its twin located a short distance to the south, are popula ...[Read More]