Wet Bands

On previous expeditions a bandwhich appears to be permanently damp flanks the western side of the valley and extends for several kilometres. It also occurs around the sides of lakes and borders stream courses. The most interesting wet bands are these distant from obvious water sources. All were explained as being related to the snouts of glaciers which have now retreated. They are important for glacial correlation and have a profound effect on weathering, rocks on the wet bands being considerably more weathered than those on either side. Differential weathering caused by the wet bands makes it impossible to place soils in order of age solely from the degree to which they have been weathered.