BharatNotes Esker
noun (countable)Usage in a UPSC answer
The discovery of esker systems beneath Greenland's ice sheet by radar surveys suggests that sub-glacial meltwater drainage networks are more extensive than previously modelled, with significant implications for ice-sheet stability projections.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
esker (noun), eskerian (adjective, rare), esker system (compound noun)
Root
Irish eiscir = ridge, gravel ridge; Old Irish escir; the same root gives the Eiscir Riada, an ancient esker road across Ireland
Etymology
Borrowed into English geological literature from Irish eiscir (a ridge, specifically a gravel ridge), first recorded in English around 1833 during geological mapping of Ireland. The term was popularised by Irish geologist Richard Griffith in the early 19th century. The Eiscir Riada, a chain of eskers crossing Ireland from Dublin to Galway, was historically used as a major overland route, illustrating the practical importance of these landforms.
Memory Hook
An ESKER is like the SKELETON of a glacial river — after the ice and water are gone, the sandy ridge of sediment remains, winding across the landscape like a long spine or backbone.
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