190 ALASKA GLACIERS 



exhibit a dominant trend and all slopes are fully adjusted 

 in harmony with the drainage. 



The southeastern part of the Siberian peninsula is char- 

 acterized by low mountains with spurs projecting seaward 

 as promontories and alternating with fiord-like bays. The 

 topographic details near the coast fall into three categories : 

 (i) A system of relatively gentle slopes chiefly occupying 

 uplands; (2) a system of relatively steep slopes chiefly 

 exhibited in the walls of the fiords (at points of junction 

 these are sharply contrasted with the slopes of the first 

 system) ; (3) coastal features, especially shore cliffs and 



FIG. 92. EAST WALL OF PLOVER BAY, SIBERIA. 



The sky-line follows the boundary between the steep fiord wall and the smooth topography 

 of the upland. A spit projecting from the end of the wave-wrought shore cliff protects the 

 more distant part of the wall. 



spits, the product of wave action under present conditions. 

 The smoother and older topography is not altogether de- 

 void of steep slopes, but gives an impression of close ad- 

 justment between processes of subaerial erosion and the 

 unequal resistances of rock masses. I saw nothing in its 

 profiles and contours to indicate glaciation. The newer 

 and steeper slopes are associated with the troughs con- 

 taining the bays in such way as to suggest glacial action, 

 but those that we passed near betrayed no smoothing, 

 grooving, or other minor feature of glacial abrasion. The 

 shore walls of Plover Bay are precipitous rock cliffs at top 

 and consist of talus at base, one phase passing into the 

 other in a manner suggesting that the original rock pro- 

 file was somewhat similar to the one brought about by 



