Which glacial landform is a large mound of sediment deposited along the front of a slowly melting or stationary glacier?

• A. Clay plug
• B. Kame
• C. Zone of illuviation
• D. O Horizon

Answer: (B)

When meltwater from a glacier carries and drops sediment as energy decreases, it can leave behind mounded, sorted piles at the glacier’s edge. That large mound deposited along the front of a slowly melting or stationary glacier is a kame. It forms from sand and gravel carried by meltwater and deposited in contact with the ice or just beyond its margin, creating an clearly defined mound rather than the unsorted till left behind by direct ice contact. The other terms refer to soil processes or features not tied to glacial meltwater deposition: a clay plug is a soil/clay feature unrelated to glacial sedimentation; the zone of illuviation is a deeper soil horizon where materials accumulate; the O horizon is an organic surface layer.