PHOTO PATTERN DATA ELEMENTS: ESKER
The Interior Lowlands- This area is part of the Eastern Lake Section, south of the Great
Lakes. The terrain is characteristic of low, gently rolling prairie topography produced by
glaciation; including variations in topography, particularly level till plains, flat stretches
interrupted by belts of ridges or small hills and interspersed with lake plains. (Humid)
Form
Ridge, long, narrow, snakelike.
Drainage
Internal, no pattern, surface runoff excellent; where
surface drainage is poor, water stands at base of esker
and marshy areas form.
Gully Characteristics
Few, if any, but V-notched if occurring near saddles or
water gaps.
Special Features
Snakelike shape.
Color (Photo Gray Tones)
Light on ridge.
Land Use
Not cultivated; grazing land, orchards, woodlots, pasture.
Vegetation
Natural forest, no underbrush, forests form cover on areas
near base of esker.
Source: Terrain analysis procedural guide for surface configuration, US Army engineer
topographic laboratories, p. 7-9