258 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. 



OBSEEVATIONS ON THE RECENT GLACIAL DRIFT 

 OF THE ALPS. 



By T. C. Chamberlin, A. M., Ph. D., State Geologist. 



The drift formation of our state forms an important feature 

 of its geology, and, owing to some peculiarities of its develop- 

 ment, perhaps more than ordinary interest attaches to it. I, 

 therefore zealously embraced the opportunity which a visit to 

 Switzerland afforded of observing the drift deposits formed by the 

 glaciers of the Alps. 



Observations were made upon the deposits of the Bossons, Bois 

 or Mer de Glace, Findelin, Gorner, Yiesch, Aletsch, Rhone, Unter 

 Aar, and the upper and lower Grindewald glaciers, and, casually, 

 as many more. 



It was my endeavor to use the limited time at my command 

 to as great an advantage as possible by confining my attention to 

 those features which are most analogous to our drift ; the more so, 

 because it is most difficult to gather exact and definite descriplions 

 of this phase of glacial phenomena from most accessible writings 

 on the subject, and naturally enough so, because the glaciers 

 themselves and their surface moraines present so much more con- 

 spicuous and absorbing objects of interest. 



My observations will, therefore, have value, if they have value 

 at all, not because of their fullness and completeness, for they do 

 not approach to that, but because they were made from this 

 standpoint, and because they have been brought to the standard 

 of the same mental meter with our own deposits ; and whether 

 that meter be standard or otherwise, it is hoped that, with some 

 corrections for mental temperature, it has measured alike in both 

 cases. 



It is essential, at the outset, to clearly discriminate between the 

 products that arise under those conditions which are peculiar to 

 Alpine situations and those that are more specifically due to glacial 

 agency without regard to special local circumstances ; and hence 

 a few explanatory words, antecedent to the observations them- 

 selves, may be appropriate. 



