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    Glaciation

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    mia
    An ice age occurs when large parts of continents are covered by ice sheets. Glaciers form from accumulated snow and ice that is compressed over many years. Glaciers erode the landscape through two processes: plucking, where meltwater causes rocks to crack and break off as the glacier moves; and abrasion, where rocks embedded in the glacier scratch the surface and leave striations. Landforms created by glacial erosion include cirques, arêtes, and pyramidal peaks. Glaciers transport eroded material and deposit it in landforms like lateral, medial, and terminal moraines. Today, glaciers attract tourism but their melting contributes to rising sea levels and potential flooding.

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    Glaciation

    Uploaded by

    mia
    19 views4 pages
    An ice age occurs when large parts of continents are covered by ice sheets. Glaciers form from accumulated snow and ice that is compressed over many years. Glaciers erode the landscape through two processes: plucking, where meltwater causes rocks to crack and break off as the glacier moves; and abrasion, where rocks embedded in the glacier scratch the surface and leave striations. Landforms created by glacial erosion include cirques, arêtes, and pyramidal peaks. Glaciers transport eroded material and deposit it in landforms like lateral, medial, and terminal moraines. Today, glaciers attract tourism but their melting contributes to rising sea levels and potential flooding.

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    An ice age occurs when large parts of continents are covered by ice sheets. Glaciers form from accumulated snow and ice that is compressed over many years. Glaciers erode the landscape through two processes: plucking, where meltwater causes rocks to crack and break off as the glacier moves; and abrasion, where rocks embedded in the glacier scratch the surface and leave striations. Landforms created by glacial erosion include cirques, arêtes, and pyramidal peaks. Glaciers transport eroded material and deposit it in landforms like lateral, medial, and terminal moraines. Today, glaciers attract tourism but their melting contributes to rising sea levels and potential flooding.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    19 views4 pages

    Glaciation

    Uploaded by

    mia
    An ice age occurs when large parts of continents are covered by ice sheets. Glaciers form from accumulated snow and ice that is compressed over many years. Glaciers erode the landscape through two processes: plucking, where meltwater causes rocks to crack and break off as the glacier moves; and abrasion, where rocks embedded in the glacier scratch the surface and leave striations. Landforms created by glacial erosion include cirques, arêtes, and pyramidal peaks. Glaciers transport eroded material and deposit it in landforms like lateral, medial, and terminal moraines. Today, glaciers attract tourism but their melting contributes to rising sea levels and potential flooding.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 4

    Ø An ice age is a period where many con2nents are

    covered by ice sheets. Last ice age 12,000 years ago.


    Ø For many years the snow and ice built up un2l it was
    compacted together to form huge masses of ice called
    Glaciers.
    Ø Glaciers are found in upland areas. Gravity moves them
    downwards (downslope). Some glaciers melt & some
    join to form ice sheets.

    Processes of glacial erosion:


    Ø Plucking - When a glacier moves, fric2on between the
    glacier & the ground causes the boJom of the glacier to
    melt. The meltwater seeps into the cracks of the rocks
    beneath the glacier. The water freezes. When the glacier
    moves the melt water is plucked form the rocks. The
    rocks are carried away with the glacier.
    Ø Abrasion – when the glacier moves, the rocks aJached
    to it, scratch the surface rock and the side rock.
    Stria1ons are the marks leN from the scratches.
    Stria2ons tell us which direc2on the glacier was moving.
    Landforms of glacial erosion:
    A cirque is a basin-shaped hollow in a mountain. It has 3
    steep sides; it is the birthplace of a glacier.
    • It is formed when snow builds up in the basin, it is then
    compressed to form ice.
    • The ice plucks rocks from the sides of the mountain as it
    begins to move. The rocks make the basin bigger and
    deeper through abrasion.
    • The ice eventually overflows, and gravity forces it
    downhill.
    • The ice that is leN behind, melts, and forms a lake called
    a tarn.
    An Arête is a narrow, steep-sided ridge between 2 cirques.
    • An arête forms when 3 cirques form next to each other
    on a mountain.
    • The ground between them begins to erode backwards
    and it leaves a narrow ridge called an arête between the
    2 cirques.
    A pyramidal peak is a steep sided peak between 3 or more
    cirques.
    • When 3 or more cirques form around a mountain top. A
    steep peak remains around them.
    Glacial transporta-on and deposi-on:
    A moraine is the name given to the material
    transported & deposited on the valley floor by a
    glacier.
    When a glacier travels through a valley, it drops off
    some of the material that it has eroded from the
    upper slopes, this deposit is known as lateral
    moraine. It is a ridge of material at the sides of the
    valley. When 2 glaciers meet, the lateral moraines
    of each glacier also meet, creaAng a medal
    moraine.
    Material is also moved along and deposited
    underneath a glacier. This is called the ground
    marine. Finally, when the glacier stops moving, a
    ridge, made up of the material that it was pushing
    in front of it, is deposited. This material is called
    terminal moraine.
    It tells us where the glacier ended. Other ridges of
    the deposiAon material are found behind the
    terminal moraine and are called end moraines.
    People and glacia-on:
    Benefits – tourism
    BeauAful landscapes are created by glaciers and
    are very good tourist aIracAons.
    Lakes are used for recreaAonal purposes.

    NegaAves – flooding
    Today’s glaciers and ice caps in the ArcAc and
    AntarcAca are melAng at an alarming rate. This
    causes sea levels to rise if they conAnue to rise it
    will cause major flooding.

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