World Geography20 Concepts & Facts

What Is a Kame and How Does Meltwater From a Glacier Build These Irregular Hills? GK Facts, Overview & Study Guide

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In physical geomorphology, a kame represents an irregularly shaped, steep-sided mound or conical hill composed of sorted, stratified sediment deposited by glacial meltwater. Scottish geologist James Geikie formally introduced the concept into scientific literature in 1874, deriving the term from the Scots word kame, signifying a comb or steep-sided crest. Typically rising between 5 and 50 meters in elevation, these positive topographic landforms develop along the margins, crevasses, or surfaces of stagnant and slowly decaying continental ice sheets. Unlike glacial moraines constructed of unsorted glacial till, kames reflect glaciofluvial mechanics where flowing meltwater washes, transports, rounds, and systematically organizes rock fragments, pebbles, and sand into stratified horizontal beds across ancient deglaciated landscapes.

The development of a kame follows a distinct three-stage geological cycle during deglaciation. First, as atmospheric warming halts ice advance, supraglacial streams channel liquid meltwater across stagnant glaciers, sweeping rocky debris into surface hollows, structural crevasses, vertical sinkholes known as moulins, or subglacial cavities. Second, hydraulic transport segregates the load according to hydrodynamic weight and velocity, producing finely graded layers of gravel and coarse sand rather than chaotic mixtures. Third, as the supporting glacial ice walls decay and vanish, the structural support disappears completely. Unsupported alluvial masses slump outward along their peripheries at their natural angle of repose, creating localized collapse structures, minor normal gravity faults, and characteristic steep mounds.

Geomorphologists categorize kames into three primary configurations based on their depositional settings. Isolated conical mounds dropped through vertical ice shafts form moulin kames, whereas flat-topped sediment bodies deposited into proglacial lakes constitute kame deltas. When streams deposit sediments between the lateral margin of a shrinking glacier and an adjacent bedrock valley wall, they create elongated bench-like features termed kame terraces. These terraces frequently appear in pairs along opposite valley sides and feature internal ice-contact collapse structures, distinguishing them from fluvial erosion terraces. When surrounded by kettle lakes, hollows created by the subsequent melting of detached buried dead ice, kames produce classic hummocky kame-and-kettle terrain that visually chronicles late Pleistocene deglaciation.

Key Concepts & Self-Assessment20 Key Facts

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Scottish geologist James Geikie introduced the scientific term kame in 1874 from Scots dialect, describing an irregular mound composed of water-laid glacial drift.

Kames represent positive glaciofluvial landforms ranging between 5 and 50 meters in height, formed by sediment accumulation in stagnant or retreating glacial ice.

Unlike unstratified glacial till found in moraines, kame sediments display distinct stratification, sorting, and rounding caused by turbulent flowing meltwater during depositional transport.

Supraglacial streams running over decaying ice sheets wash sand, silt, and rounded gravel into surface depressions, marginal lakes, crevasses, and vertical drainage shafts.

Vertical meltwater sinkholes penetrating deep into glaciers, termed moulins, accumulate sorted glaciofluvial sediment that settles onto underlying bedrock as conical moulin kames.

When confining glacial ice walls melt during deglaciation, unsupported sediment masses collapse outward at their natural angle of repose, creating steep marginal slopes.

Kame margins frequently preserve micro-faults and down-dropped slump structures, providing clear diagnostic evidence of sudden sediment collapse following supporting ice-wall melting.

Kame terraces form when meltwater streams deposit sorted gravel along narrow troughs bounded between retreating glacial margins and adjoining solid bedrock valley walls.

Kame terraces typically occur in matching pairs on valley walls, displaying irregular hummocky surfaces that distinguish them from strictly planar river erosion terraces.

#10

Kame deltas represent flat-topped glaciofluvial landforms constructed where high-energy glacial meltwater streams discharge coarse sediments directly into standing proglacial ice-dammed lakes.

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Kettle holes form alongside kames when isolated blocks of stagnant dead ice become buried in outwash sediments and subsequently melt over centuries.

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The combination of positive conical kames and negative depression kettle lakes generates a distinctive hummocky topography characteristic of late Pleistocene glacial lowlands.

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Kettle depressions that intersect the regional groundwater table develop into permanent kettle lakes, common across post-glacial landscapes of North America and northern Europe.

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In competitive examinations, kames and eskers are classified as glaciofluvial landforms consisting of sorted sediments, whereas moraines and drumlins comprise unsorted till.

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Eskers form long sinuous gravel ridges within subglacial meltwater tunnels, distinguishing their linear geometry from the localized, conical, or irregular shapes of kames.

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Drumlins represent streamlined, tear-drop hills shaped by direct glacial ice movement over unsorted till, oriented parallel to prevailing ice flow directions.

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The Scottish Borders, East Anglia, southern Ontario, and the upper Midwestern United States host classic examples of well-preserved kame and kettle complexes.

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Commercial aggregate industries frequently quarry kames and kame terraces because sorted glaciofluvial deposits supply high-quality sand and gravel for concrete construction projects.

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Hydrogeologically, the high porosity and hydraulic conductivity of coarse kame gravels make them valuable regional recharge zones for localized unconfined groundwater aquifers.

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Recognizing kame stratification allows Pleistocene geologists to reconstruct exact meltwater drainage networks, paleocurrent flow vectors, and ice-retreat timetables across ancient glaciated regions.

Subject Specialist Commentary

Analytical perspective & practical exam advice from the Master10 academic board

Educator's Insight

Glacial geomorphology questions frequently assess the genetic distinction between direct glacial deposition and glaciofluvial meltwater action. Candidates often confuse kames with drumlins or moraines during time-pressured civil service examinations. Remember that running meltwater sorts and stratifies sediments mechanically by mass and grain size, whereas moving glacial ice deposits unsorted till indiscriminately. Identifying whether a landform exhibits internal bedding resolves depositional origin questions rapidly across both preliminary and main examination papers.

To master kame landform topography, track the complete structural evolution from ice-confined supraglacial alluvium to slumping marginal mounds. Notice that kame terraces align along valley borders, moulin kames form isolated cones, and kettle depressions mark melted stagnant ice blocks. Master this classic glaciofluvial concept reliably through the academic exam mnemonic KAME: Kettle lake associations, Alluvial meltwater sorting, Moulin depositional cones, and Esker distinction with stratified beds.

What Is a Kame and How Does Meltwater From a Glacier Build These Irregular Hills? GK Facts, Overview & Study Guide

Key Concepts & Self-Assessment20 Key Facts

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