Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1977, Page 179
Glacial striae, roches moutonnees and ice movements
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powerful glaciation, with roches moutonnees showing ice move-
ment towards the SW and WSW (sites 2—7). Immediately
west of the tunnel is a NW—SE oriented fault with a down-
throw of 10 m. towards the west.
On the northerly slope of the valley east of the fault, there
are exposures showing stoss sides and lee sides that indicate ice
movement towards the east (site 74). This easterly movement
is also shown by the glaciation marks on the lava flow forming
the north wall of the motor road.
Immediately west of the fault, roches moutonnees indicating
ice movement towards the SW are to be seen. These observa-
tions lead to the conclusion that the iceshed must have been
located right at the fault. In the valley bottom near the ice
shed there are no heaps or mounds of glacial debris; the soil
cover is thin and there are stony or bare patches. It is first
further to the east that the valley floor becomes more uneven
with moraine deposits.
In the middle of Botnsskarð there are glaciated ridges and
completely flat, smooth basalt surfaces with no well-defined
stoss or lee sides. At the most westerly small lake near Gimbra-
rók there are obvious roches moutonnees, which show ice move-
ment towards the SW (site 73).
Vatnsdalur — Hvannhagi — Froðbiarbotnur.
Vatnsdalur opens to the N into Hvalbiarfjørður. The valley
mouth lies about 40 m. above sea-level. The valley has contin-
uous vegetation cover, and no observations of striae or roches
moutonnees are therefore possible.
At Todnes, west of Hvannhagi, completely unambiguous
roches moutonnees have been observed indicating ice movement
towards the ENE (site 64).
Froðbiarbotnur, which has a longitudinal axis running E—
W, has an unusually acute valley head for a cirque. The valley
floor has a uniform vegetation cover, but a number of exposed
basalt areas can be seen on the flanks of the valley, and also
along the upper boundary of the cirque at an altitude of about