Geologic Features of Glaciation
Horn
• Mountain peak formed by glacial erosion
Cirque
• Bowl shaped depression in a mountain formed by glacial erosion and frost wedging
Arete
• Sharp ridge between two cirques formed by glacial erosion of bedrock on mountain peaks
Esker
• Snake like deposit of gravel formed by glacier deposition in a meltwater stream
Lateral Moraine
• Narrow band of sediment along the outer sides of an alpine glacier formed by erosion of valley walls
Medial Moraine
• Narrow band of sediment within an alpine glacier formed when two lateral moraines meet
End Moraine
• Mound of unsorted sediment at the end of a glacier formed by glacial advancement which bulldozes sediment to a ridge
Ground Moraine
• Loose sediment found along flat terrain once covered by a glacier; formed when sediment is left behind by a retreating glacier
Kettle Lake
• Hole that fills with glacial water formed when ice breaks off glaciers and melts
Drumlin
• Elongated hill of sediment formed by deposition of a retreating glacier
Outwash Plain
• Accumulation of sediment in front of an end moraine formed by glacial deposition
Meltwater
• Rivers of glacial water filled with sediment formed when glaciers melt
U-Shaped Valley
• Alpine valleys shaped like a U due to glacial erosion
Erractics
• Transported rocks and boulders due to glacial movement and deposition
Till
• Unsorted glacial sediment due to glacial deposition
Kame
• Hill of sorted glacial deposits found on ground moraines; formed by deposits made by a retreating glacier
Truncated Spur
• Steep triangular shaped valley walls formed by alpine glacial erosions
Tributary Glaciers
• Small glacial rivers that eventually join a valley glacier; due to glaciers forming in small alpine regions
Braided Stream
• Stream of meltwater that flows towards an outwash plain; formed as glacier melts but rivers are choked with sediment
Glacial Striations
• Parallel scratches in bedrock due to glacial abrasion
Ogives
• Light and dark bands/ridges at the base of glacial ice falls; created by rapid glacial flow downhill (icefall)