Beyond the Little Ice Age morainesThis section provides examples of the range of landforms and sediments to be found beyond the Little Ice Age moraine limits, including proglacial fluvial features, a small rock glacier, screes, the lateral morainic troughs (the valleys between the moraines and the rocky valley sides) of Imja and Lhotse glaciers, and small breaches in the moraines of a glacier on Ama Dablam. |
![Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines](icons/1_imja_river_braid_plain.jpg) Small braid plain of the stream that leaves Imja Tsho. It is constrained by the lateral moraine of Lhotse Glacier on the left. The peak is Taboche (6367 m). | ![Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines](icons/2_imja_braided_stream_section_ama_dablam.jpg) The braided stream of Imja, viewed from the lateral moraine, with Ama Dablam in the background. | ![Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines](icons/3_imja_meltstream_nr_camp.jpg) Sunset behind the left lateral moraine of Lhotse Glacier reflected in the waters of the Imja river. | ![Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines](icons/4_imja_stream_and_snow_downview.jpg) A similar, but early morning view, after an overnight snowfall. |
![Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines](icons/5_imja_stream_and_snow.jpg) View upstream of rounded snow-covered boulders in the Imja river. Baruntse and the moraines of Imja Glacier are in the background. | ![Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines](icons/6_imja_braided_river_facies.jpg) Bars of sandy gravel in the bed of the Imja river, looking towards cloud-draped Baruntse. The bluish colour of the water is from suspended sediment. | ![Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines](icons/7_imja_rock_glacier_context.jpg) A rock glacier (greyish debris) occupies the small valley on the left and flows over old, probably late glacial, moraines of Imja Glacier, which are covered in brown vegetation. | ![Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines](icons/8_imja_rock_glacier_side.jpg) Side view of the rock glacier, showing its bulbous shape and its connection with the scree slope at the valley head. |
![Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines](icons/9_imja_rock_glacier_front.jpg) The front of the rock glacier, showing the loose unstable debris that indicates that it is active. Neil Glasser provides a scale. | ![Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines](icons/10_imja_screes_from_north_lateral_moraine.jpg) Large scree slopes fall towards the north lateral moraine of Lhotse Shar Glacier. Lhotse itself is in the background. | ![Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines](icons/11_imja_lateral_morainic_trough_sand_vert.jpg) Right-lateral morainic trough of Imja Glacier. The moraine is on the right, and Baruntse is in the background. Wind-blown rippled sand in the foreground. | ![Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines](icons/12_imja_glacier_aeolian_facies.jpg) Katabatic winds pick up the finer material (mainly sand) from exposed moraine faces and re-deposit as rippled dunes it in sheltered hollows. |
![Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines](icons/13_imja_lhotse_lake_bed_sand.jpg) A small lake basin between the moraines of Imja and Lhotse glaciers, which was drained during our visit, is here covered with small sand dunes. | ![Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines](icons/14_imja_active_fault.jpg) This small but active fault, cutting across the moraine of Imja Glacier and the adjacent hillside, indicates that this region is prone to earthquakes. | ![Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines](icons/15_lhotse_lateral_morainic_trough.jpg) The lateral morainic trough on the south flank of Lhotse Glacier carries the main footpath to Imja Glacier and Island Peak. | ![Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines](icons/16_incipient_moraine_breach.jpg) Above the village of Dingboche, on the opposite side of the valley, is a large moraine on Ama Dablam. The scar shows where outflow from a dammed lake occurred. |
![Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines Beyond the Little Ice Age moraines](icons/17_moraine_scar_below_ama_dablam.jpg) The confluence of the Khumbu and Imja rivers, with moraine scar and Ama Dablam in the background. | | | |
Photos Michael Hambrey, April-May, 2003 |