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Esker identification and geology

A long, sinuous ridge of stratified sand and gravel deposited by meltwater flowing in tunnels within or beneath a glacier. Eskers can extend for tens to hundreds of kilometers and stand 5–50 m above the surrounding landscape. Because they are composed of sorted, clean sand and gravel, eskers are economically important as sources of aggregate for construction. Field: glacial geology. Example: The Munro Esker in northeastern Ontario extends for over 200 km and is a major source of construction aggregate, with cross-sections revealing well-sorted, cross-bedded gravel deposited by subglacial meltwater streams.. Related terms: Drumlin, Outwash, Glaciofluvial, Kame.

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Sources, scope & corrections

These authoritative resources support category-level nomenclature, terminology, identification methods, and safety. When a specimen-specific safety warning appears, the public-health source listed here directly supports that precaution. They are not line-by-line citations for every other property on this entry, and natural specimens vary.

Editorial owner
GeoMiner
Last updated
2026-03-30T15:19:41.999576+00:00
Review status
Published; not independently peer-reviewed
  • USGS Thesaurus — U.S. Geological Survey. Controlled earth-science terminology used to describe USGS information resources.
  • Glossary of Geologic Terms — U.S. National Park Service. Geologic definitions prepared by the NPS Geologic Resources Inventory.

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Common questions

What does Esker mean in geology?
A long, sinuous ridge of stratified sand and gravel deposited by meltwater flowing in tunnels within or beneath a glacier. Eskers can extend for tens to hundreds of kilometers and stand 5–50 m above the surrounding landscape. Because they are composed of sorted, clean sand and gravel, eskers are economically important as sources of aggregate for construction.
What is an example of Esker?
The Munro Esker in northeastern Ontario extends for over 200 km and is a major source of construction aggregate, with cross-sections revealing well-sorted, cross-bedded gravel deposited by subglacial meltwater streams.
Which earth-science field uses the term Esker?
Esker is used in glacial geology.
Which terms are related to Esker?
Related terms in this reference are Drumlin, Outwash, Glaciofluvial, Kame.

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