Kame Deltas

Feature Fact File: Kame Deltas

   

What is a kame delta?

Kame deltas are irregularly shaped hills of well sorted and stratified sediment. They are a type of kame, but they form in a distinct manner (which we will discuss in a few moments). Because of their unique formation, one of their sides are much steeper than the other, which is called an ice contact slope. Kame deltas are layered are layered because streams deposited the sediment. The layers are always parallel to the less steep side.

How do kame deltas form?

    Kame deltas form when a stream of meltwater carrying sediment flow off the snout of the glacier. This causes the sediment to build up at the base, making the snout of the glacier seem less steep. When the glacier retreats, the kame delta remains with two distinct sides: one that was touching the glacier (the ice contact slope), and the one that the melt water flowed over.

If you look to the right of the image, you can see how a kame delta forms.

Where do kame deltas form?

    Kame deltas form at the snouts of glaciers.

Fun fact:

Kame deltas are also sometimes called ice contact heads.

Image Citation:

Development of Kames. Digital image. Access Science. McGraw Hill Education, n.d. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://www.accessscience.com/loadBinary.aspx?filename=290200FG0040.gif>.