earth science

Reusch's Moraine

Reusch's Moraine is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Reusch's Moraine rather than just read about it. In short: The Smalfjord diamictite, Bigganjargga Tillite or Reusch's Moraine is a diamictite in Finnmark, northern Norway. The rock was first identified as a tillite by Hans Reusch in 1891, hence its name.

Key takeaways

Reusch's Moraine belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Reusch's Moraine to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Reusch's Moraine from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Smalfjord diamictite, Bigganjargga Tillite or Reusch's Moraine is a diamictite in Finnmark, northern Norway. The rock was first identified as a tillite by Hans Reusch in 1891, hence its name. The tillite overlies sandstone whose contact surface is striated. Reusch's Moraine belongs to the Smalfjord Formation, a geological formation of Neoproterozoic age. The tillite possibly formed during the Sturtian glaciation in connection to a global glaciation. Reusch's Moraine was among the first sites discovered to bear evidence of Precambrian glaciations, being only preceded by findings in Scotland (1871), Australia (1884) and India (1887). The site is remarkably illustrative and Reusch's 1891 sketch has been labeled "iconic" by Paul F. Hoffman. The area has been protected by law at least since the 1960s and it is forbidden to hammer the rocks.

Differing interpretations While the idea that the rocks and striations are of glacial origin have been endorsed by numerous geologists, a few have disagreed. As early as 1900 did A. Dal question the glacial origin. In the 1960s other geologists followed suit and challenged the established interpretation. A 1964 study by J.C. Crowell proposed the diamictite to be a mudflow deposit and the striations to be caused also by a mudflow. In 1966 Reading and Walker attacked the mudflow interpretation on the grounds that evidence for contemporary deformation, an expected feature of mudflow deposits, is lacking. The glacial origin idea has been aided by the fact that the diamicton deposited during a period when the Earth was subject to a widespread glaciation. New arguments against a glacial origin were put forward in 1996 by Jensen and Wulff. They argued that the underlying sandstone is not substantially older than the diamicton and that it was not fully consolidated when the striations were made. This argument is based on their findings of imprints of diamictite clasts and diamictite clasts within the sandstone. The same authors claim that the fact that the clasts of the diamicton are locally derived argues against a glacial origin. As such Jensen and Wulff concluded the diamictite is a debris flow deposit. Countering these argument M.B. Edwards claims that if the sandstone was unconsolidated then the size of the clasts seen in the imprints would have formed much deeper grooves during striation. Edwards adds further that tills made up of locally derived clasts are nothing rare in the geological record.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Reusch's Moraine

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Reusch's Moraine claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Reusch's Moraine before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Reusch's Moraine ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Reusch's Moraine

In research: Reusch's Moraine appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Reusch's Moraine in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Reusch's Moraine is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Cryogenian, Geography of Finnmark, Geology of Norway, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Reusch's Moraine outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Reusch's Moraine in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Reusch's Moraine means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Reusch's Moraine out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Reusch's Moraine in simple terms?

The Smalfjord diamictite, Bigganjargga Tillite or Reusch's Moraine is a diamictite in Finnmark, northern Norway. The rock was first identified as a tillite by Hans Reusch in 1891, hence its name.

Why does Reusch's Moraine matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Reusch's Moraine?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Reusch's Moraine.