Empirical Evidence of Catastrophic Geology: Case 6

Glaciers in the early 21st century have generally been losing mass (melting) and "retreating" due to changes that occur in the climate.  Glaciers can experience cycles of growth and retreat.  The "Fox" glacier in New Zealand for example retreated 985 feet horizontally in 2014.  As glaciers in valleys retreat, the toe of the side slopes loses resistance (buttress) that permits shallow to deep slope instability failures.  The landslides add notable "sediment" to the valley and deposit variable thicknesses of sediment in an instant.  In addition, the glacier water collects more loose sediment from the side slopes from rainfall runoff and shallow slides, causing fast sediment building in the stream valley.  At the "Fox" glacier valley for example, valley sedimentation is occurring at a rate of more than 3 feet per year (another example of a relatively fast rate of buildup for a sedimentary deposit).  A photograph of the "Fox" glacier is provided below.