Micromorphology and microstructural analysis of polyphase deformation of tills, West Runton

Glacially deformed sediments have been studied intensely since the 1970’s (van der Meer and Menzies, 2011), and with this, the use of micromorphology as a component technique (Menzies and Maltman, 1992; van der Meer, 1993; Menzies, 2000; Phillips and Auton, 2000; van der Wateren, 2000; Carr, 2001; Khatwa and Tulaczyk, 2001; van der Meer et al., 2003; Larsen et al., 2004; Menzies et al., 2006; Hiemstra, 2007; van der Meer and Menzies, 2011). Initially micromorphology was applied to differentiate between types of tills (van der Meer, 1987). However, it was realised that this was not possible and the majority of studies have since focused on subglacial conditions and its affect on glacier or ice sheet behaviour (van der Meer et al., 2003, Menzies et al., 2006). Until now micromorphology has generally consisted of creating an inventory of what microstructures exist and trying to comprehend where they occur and in what sub‐environments of the glacial system they form (McCaroll and Rijsdijk, 2003; van der Meer and Menzies, 2011). This descriptive technique is dated and although it is not assumed that all microstructures are known, the next stage of scientific development is towards interpretation and quantification (van der Meer and Menzies, 2011; Phillips et al., 2011). The recent introduction of a new microstructural mapping method has aided this method by determining a chronology of events that have lead to the development of the microstructures seen in thin section (Phillips et al., 2011).