Tinley Moraine facts for kids
The Tinley Moraine is a long, low ridge of hills and rocks found around Lake Michigan in North America. It was formed a very long time ago by a giant sheet of ice, called a glacier, during a period known as the Wisconsin Glaciation. Think of it like a big pile of dirt and rocks that a bulldozer (the glacier) pushed up and then left behind!
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What is the Tinley Moraine?
The Tinley Moraine is a type of landform called a moraine. Moraines are like natural walls or ridges made of dirt, rocks, and other debris that glaciers leave behind as they melt and move. The Tinley Moraine is younger than another, larger moraine nearby called the Valparaiso Moraine. The Valparaiso Moraine is wider and farther away from Lake Michigan. The Tinley Moraine is much narrower and sits about 6 miles (9.7 km) closer to the lake. It passes through towns like Flossmoor, Western Springs, and Arlington Heights. It was likely named after the village of Tinley Park, which is located on this moraine southwest of Chicago.
How Did the Tinley Moraine Form?
The Tinley Moraine was created during the Wisconsin Glaciation, which was the most recent major ice age in North America. During this time, a huge part of the Laurentide Ice Sheet (a massive glacier) covered much of Canada and the northern United States. The part of this glacier that moved into the Lake Michigan area is called the Lake Michigan Lobe.
Scientists believe that the Lake Michigan Lobe first melted back (receded) from the area where the Valparaiso Moraine is. Then, the glacier pushed forward again (advanced) towards the Valparaiso Moraine. As it advanced, it scraped up and pushed a lot of earth and rocks, forming the Tinley Moraine.
Where Can You Find the Tinley Moraine?
The Tinley Moraine starts as a branch off the Valparaiso Moraine in southern Lake County, Illinois. This area is known for its kettle lakes, which are small lakes formed in depressions left by melting ice blocks. The moraine then follows an eastern path southward through towns like Des Plaines and past the Argonne National Laboratory.
The moraine is broken by the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in some places. From there, it sweeps southeast towards Dyer, Indiana. It then turns east towards Valparaiso, Indiana, where it eventually joins back up with the Valparaiso Moraine near Wheeler, Indiana. East of this point, the Tinley Moraine becomes mixed with another glacial feature called the Lake Border Moraine. The Lake Border Moraine is even younger than the Tinley Moraine.
