Glaciation - Ohio State

Glaciation – Ohio State U.S

Ice formations characterize the history of Ohio, some of them almost a mile thick and covering approximately two-thirds of the state. Changes in climate are the reason the glaciers warmed, and for the last 10,000 years, they are still melting. They recently stopped melting abruptly, and for the first time in the 10,000 years, they are growing again. During the three commonly known glaciations, the advance and retreat of ice resulted in the creation of numerous features on the ground that serve as evidence of these occurrences.

Studies show that the first glacial formation blocked the Teays River and its several tributaries, leading to the formation of a 7,000 square mile lake in the South of Ohio. The lake was named Lake Tight, after the geologist who first studied the Teays River, William G. Tight. Due to the thickness of the glaciers, ice flowed under the weight and moved south of Ohio, reaching Northern Kentucky. The flows of ice carried away materials like rock fragments and deposited them in the form of a sediment blanket after the ice liquefied. The sediment blankets also called till, are present in Rocky Fork Creek, Franklin County, in Central Ohio (Hansen p.2).

As the ice continued to melt and flow towards the South, the force of the water and ice scraped against the exposed rocks. The water carves out the coils and turns visible in Hocking Hills today (Ohio n.p). The distinguishing characteristic of sediments deposited by water is that the water sorts out the material as it flows. As a result, boulder-size rocks were left behind as the clay-size particles flowed to very far away. The Southeastern section of Ohio had no cover of ice in the past, and excluding the Hocking Hills, this area remains as it was two million years ago. A kettle lake called Stage’s Pond was formed when a disappearing Wisconsinan glacier became buried by sediment and melted (Hansen p.2). It is a Nature Preserve in the state.

After the ice had melted...