Ancient glacial facies Patterns of glacial facies distribution are divided into two zones depending on whether the

deposition takes place under water or above water. The two zones are the terrestrial facies zone, where the glaciated area and the adjacent proglacial zone are above sea level, and the marine glacial facies zone, where facies are deposited under water. The terrestrial glacial facies zone (figure #) is divided into three sub-zones which are the subglacial facies zone, ice-marginal facies zone and the proglacial facies zone. The subglacial facies zone takes place surrounding an inner erosional zone, and is dominantly composed of lodgment till layers with very little presence of melt water facies. The ice-marginal facies zone deposits are found on the outer parts of the glaciated region. The lower layers of this zone are lodgment till overlain by a layer that has end morains on the outer part and ice formed topography on the inner part, this layer is topped by lacustrine muds. The proglacial facies zone is beyond the zone of till deposition and is composed mostly of gravel, sand and mud transferred by rivers and air.

Figure : Terrestrial zone (after Reading , 1996)

The marine glacial facies zone (figure #) is divided into three sub-zones as well, the sub-zones are the proglacial marine facies zone, marginal glaciomarine zone and submarine glacial retreat zone. Facies distribution in the marine glacial facies zone is controlled by the glacial maximum, the marine limit and the postglacial minimum sea level. The proglacial marine facies zone takes place seaward of the glacial maximum, and is composed of inter beds of layers of sediment gravity flow deposits and ice-rafted diamietones and layers of non-glacial deposits. The marginal glaciomarine facies zones are formed close to glacial maximums during stillstands. It

consists of grounding-line-zone sediment, including submarine end moraines, grounding-line fans and accumulation of diamicton that may form diamicton aprons and/or till tongues (H. G. Reading, 1996). Facies association in the proglacial marine facies zone and the marginal glaciomarine facies zone vary depending on whether ice is wet or dry and the mass balance. The submarine glacial retreat facies zone occurs between the marine limit and the glacial maximum. It is composed of layers of lodgment till overlain by glaciomarine sediments topped by normal marine sediments. The facies association in this zone depends strongly on the rate of glacial retreat, mass balance and the relative sea level.

Figure : Marine zone (after Reading, 1996)