Glacial Landforms

Cirque

A bowl-shaped depression carved out by the head of a glacier. It has very steep walls.

Arête

Ridge that forms between two different cirques when erosion is two-sided.

Horn

Pyramidal ridge formed from three seperate cirques. Matterhorn is an example.

U-Shaped Valley

Broad steep walled valleys that form from glacial erosion.

Hanging Valley

Tributary valley that isnt as eroded as the central valley, as such it hangs above its central valley.

Fjord

U-shaped valley that is flooded by sea water.

Striations

Parallel grooves carved in bedrock by small sediment carried by the glacier. Shows direction of movement.

Tarn

Lakes that form in cirque basin after glacier melts.

Roche Moutonée(Sheepback)

Glacial ice creates asymmetric erosion on bedrock and causes abrasion of the stoss side and plucking on the leeward side.

Nunatak

A ridge of a mountain that rises above a surrounding ice field.

Bergschrund

Névé

Plucking

Basal Slip

Movement of the glacier through the ice slipping on top of meltwater.

Plastic Flow

The slow viscous movement of a glacier under pressure. Requires thick glaciers over 20 meters.