supraglacial moraine
- noun
- UK
:
morrena supraglacial
- Spring meltwater often exposes new debris on the supraglacial moraine.
Examples
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The supraglacial moraine was clearly visible on the glacier's surface.
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The mountaineers crossed a supraglacial moraine on their way up the glacier.
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Scientists found ancient plant material buried within the supraglacial moraine.
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Many scientists study the supraglacial moraines to understand climate change.
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The supraglacial moraine was clearly visible on the glacier's surface, showing where the debris had accumulated.
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As we hiked on the glacier, we noticed a supraglacial moraine filled with rocks and dirt from the mountain.
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The researchers studied the supraglacial moraine to understand how debris affects glacier movement.
Synonyms
3
9.9
A ridge of stones and earth left by a glacier
A layer of rocks left on glacier ice when the ice melts
How Deep
- Specialized
1
8.6
- UK
Surface Forms
Morphology
supraglacial + moraine
The phrase is compositionally analyzable: 'moraine' means earth/stones left by glaciers and 'supraglacial' literally indicates location on or above a glacier (supra- + glacial). However, 'supraglacial' is a technical coinage using a Latin prefix and may not be immediately recognizable to a B1 learner without morphological knowledge or exposure, so the sense is only partly predictable.
Etymology
Supraglacial moraine shows a simple picture: a line or small mound of rocks, soil and plant bits sitting on the top of a glacier. The part supraglacial means 'above' or 'on' the ice and moraine is a heap of debris, so the phrase names the debris that fell onto or was carried across the glacier surface.