Moraine

noun

/məˈreɪn/

A mass of rocks, sediment, and debris deposited by a glacier at its edges (lateral moraine), at its terminus (terminal moraine), or beneath it (ground moraine) — terminal moraines often form natural dams that impound glacial lakes, making them critical to GLOF hazard assessment.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

As Himalayan glaciers retreat under accelerating climate stress, the unstable moraine damming many high-altitude lakes threatens catastrophic outburst floods, compelling the State to integrate glacial-hazard mapping into its disaster-management framework.

Synonyms

glacial drifttillglacial debrisdetritusdrift deposit

🌱 Word Family

moraine (n), moraines (n pl), morainal (adj), morainic (adj), drumlin (n related)

🔡 Root

French moraine = mound of earth; possibly Savoyard dialect morena; used in geological literature from 18th c.

📜 Etymology

From French moraine, possibly from Savoyard dialect morena ("mound of earth"); first used in geological literature in the 18th century to describe the ridges of debris observed at the margins of Alpine glaciers.

🧠 Memory Hook

Link "moraine" to "more rain" gathering more rock: picture a glacier piling up "MORE" rocky debris ("-aine") at its snout - fittingly, the root means "snout, muzzle".

📝 Seen in UPSC Question Papers

Prelims 2024 — Disaster Management
Prelims 2024 — Disaster Management

Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Moraine” — proof this word earns its place on your list.

🌍 Geography 📖 Seen in: Natural Hazards & Vulnerability Mappin...

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