Essentials of Geology (Fifth Edition)
Essentials of Geology (Fifth Edition)
5th Edition
ISBN: 9780393263398
Author: Stephen Marshak
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Question
Book Icon
Chapter 18, Problem 1RQ
To determine

Theevidence offered by Louis Agassiz to support that the ice age happened.

Expert Solution & Answer
Check Mark

Answer to Problem 1RQ

The evidence offered by Louis Agassiz was that the mysterious erratics of Europe were left by enormous sheets of ice that had once covered much of the continent.

Explanation of Solution

An ice age is a period in the Earth’s history in which the climates were extremely cold, resulting in the existence or expansion of continental ice sheets and mountain glaciers. There are two stages within an ice age, where periods of cold climate are termed as ‘glacial periods’ or ‘glaciations’, and alternative warm periods that are called ‘interglacial’.

In 1837, Agassiz proposed that the Earth had been subjected to a past ice age. He proposed that ancient glaciers not only flowed externally from the Alps, but also on the plains and mountains of Europe. He observed that the slow-moving masses of glaciers could carry massive boulders, as well as sand and mud, because ice is a solid and had the power to support the weight of a rock.

He realized that unlike rivers, glaciers do not sort sediments as they flow and leave unsorted sediment later when they melt. Later in life, Agassiz traveled to the United States and identified many glacial features in North America's landscape, proving that the last ice age did not affect just Europe.

Want to see more full solutions like this?

Subscribe now to access step-by-step solutions to millions of textbook problems written by subject matter experts!
Knowledge Booster
Background pattern image
Recommended textbooks for you
Text book image
Applications and Investigations in Earth Science ...
Earth Science
ISBN:9780134746241
Author:Edward J. Tarbuck, Frederick K. Lutgens, Dennis G. Tasa
Publisher:PEARSON
Text book image
Exercises for Weather & Climate (9th Edition)
Earth Science
ISBN:9780134041360
Author:Greg Carbone
Publisher:PEARSON
Text book image
Environmental Science
Earth Science
ISBN:9781260153125
Author:William P Cunningham Prof., Mary Ann Cunningham Professor
Publisher:McGraw-Hill Education
Text book image
Earth Science (15th Edition)
Earth Science
ISBN:9780134543536
Author:Edward J. Tarbuck, Frederick K. Lutgens, Dennis G. Tasa
Publisher:PEARSON
Text book image
Environmental Science (MindTap Course List)
Earth Science
ISBN:9781337569613
Author:G. Tyler Miller, Scott Spoolman
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Text book image
Physical Geology
Earth Science
ISBN:9781259916823
Author:Plummer, Charles C., CARLSON, Diane H., Hammersley, Lisa
Publisher:Mcgraw-hill Education,