A sandur, or outwash plain, is a broad, flat spread of sand and gravel beyond a glacier snout. Meltwater streams deposit the material as they leave the ice.

Why is a sandur crossed by braided channels?

Meltwater discharge varies enormously between seasons and the load is very large. Shallow channels choke with sediment and divide repeatedly around temporary bars.

Name the world's largest sandur and give its size.

Skeiðarársandur in southern Iceland covers roughly 1,300 km². Meltwater from Vatnajökull built and maintains it.

What is a jökulhlaup?

A jökulhlaup is a sudden, catastrophic outburst of meltwater from beneath or in front of a glacier. Volcanic activity under an ice cap is a common trigger in Iceland.

Describe the 1996 Icelandic jökulhlaup and its effects.

An eruption beneath Vatnajökull melted ice into the Grímsvötn caldera, which burst out in November 1996. Peak discharge reached roughly 50,000 m³ s⁻¹ and the flood destroyed bridges on the ring road across Skeiðarársandur.

Eduqas A-Level Geography A110QS

Coastal LandscapesLandscape

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Glaciated Landscapes

Proglacial landforms: sandurs, varves and kettle holes

2 things to know
Component 1 Section A

Overview

How a sandur is built, world's largest sandur and give its size and why a varve has two contrasting layers.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Key term

Define a sandur.

Key term

Explain how a sandur is built.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
Define a sandur.
Model answer
A sandur, or outwash plain, is a broad, flat spread of sand and gravel beyond a glacier snout. Meltwater streams deposit the material as they leave the ice.
2
Explain how a sandur is built.
Model answer
Meltwater leaving the snout loses velocity as it spreads out across open ground. The coarsest gravel is dropped nearest the ice and progressively finer sand and silt further away.
3
Why is a sandur crossed by braided channels?
Model answer
Meltwater discharge varies enormously between seasons and the load is very large. Shallow channels choke with sediment and divide repeatedly around temporary bars.
4
Name the world's largest sandur and give its size.
Model answer
Skeiðarársandur in southern Iceland covers roughly 1,300 km². Meltwater from Vatnajökull built and maintains it.
5
What is a jökulhlaup?
Model answer
A jökulhlaup is a sudden, catastrophic outburst of meltwater from beneath or in front of a glacier. Volcanic activity under an ice cap is a common trigger in Iceland.
6
Describe the 1996 Icelandic jökulhlaup and its effects.
Model answer
An eruption beneath Vatnajökull melted ice into the Grímsvötn caldera, which burst out in November 1996. Peak discharge reached roughly 50,000 m³ s⁻¹ and the flood destroyed bridges on the ring road across Skeiðarársandur.

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