sichelwannen

views updated May 08 2018

sichelwannen Crescent-shaped p-forms cut into a flat or sloping rock surface by the action of a glacier. They are typically 1–10 m long and 5–6m wide. The horns of the crescents point down-glacier. Their origin is unclear; the action of saturated till and of subglacial meltwater have both been invoked. The name is German, its literal meaning being ‘sickle tubs’.

sichelwannen

views updated May 21 2018

sichelwannen Smooth, crescent-shaped features cut into a flat or sloping rock surface by the action of a glacier. They are typically 1–10 m long and 5–6 m wide. The horns of the crescents point down-glacier. Their origin is unclear; the action of saturated till and of subglacial meltwater have both been invoked. The name is German, its literal meaning being ‘sickle tubs’.