Why study glacial geology?
Although there are currently no glaciers in Wisconsin, glaciers sculpted the physical environment of Wisconsin, affecting its topography and its soil and water resources. Since the local and regional topography and resources affect our ability to live well here, it behooves us to understand the characteristics and patterns to the resources the glaciers left for us. On a wider scale, glaciers impacted the physical environment of large portions of North America, Eurasia, South America, and portions of Africa. Today, glaciers continue to impact polar environments including Antarctica and Greenland, other high latitude regions such as northern Canada, and high alpine environments throughout the world’s major mountain ranges. In addition to creating some spectacular scenery, these existing glaciers continue to affect the soil and water resources of far-away areas. For example, major rivers of southeastern Asia such as the Ganges, the Indus, the Brahmaputra, and the Mekong are fed by Himalay
