MORPHOLOGY OF DRUMLINS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SELECTED DRUMLIN FIELDS IN NORTH AMERICA Morphology of Drumlins: A Comparative Analysis of Selected Drumlin Fields in North America

Pleistocene glaciers revealed numerous types of land formations in their retreat northward during climatic warming. The postglacial landscape contains various features, such as moraines, flutes, and drumlin fields. Drumlin fields in southeastern Wisconsin and west central New York are compared in terms of drumlin morphology to ascertain regional differences between drumlin fields formed by different lobes of the Wisconsinan Laurentide ice sheet. Topographic maps of the Wisconsin and New York study areas are used to measure physical characteristics of individual drumlins. Drumlins from the two glacial lobes differ significantly on the basis of length, width, and relief, but are similar in terms of nearest neighbor proximity and width/length ratios. Differences between the drumlin belts in Wisconsin and New York may result from natural variations in glacial conditions during formation, although the specific mechanisms remain elusive.