Erosion and Deposition

Glaciers

Glaciers

● Glacier - a large mass of ice that moves over land

● Alpine glaciers – occur in mountain and are erosional

● Continental glaciers – occur on flatter land and are mostly depositional.

Glaciers

● Glaciers occur in a cold region where more snow falls than melts each year.

● In alpine glaciers the weight of the heavy mass of ice causes it to flow downward slowly.

● A continental glacier spreads out under its own weight.

Alpine Glaciers

● Cirque – a bowl-shaped erosion near the top of a mountain caused by a glacier through ice wedging.

● Horn – a sharp peak where 3 or 4 cirques come together.

● Arete – a ridge that forms where 2 cirques come together.

● Alpine glaciers create U-shaped valleys.

Moraines

● Till – different sized sediments deposited by a glaciers.

● Moraine – a deposit left behind by a retreating glacier.

● End moraine – left at the end or toe of a glacier.● Lateral moraine – left at the sides of a glacier.● Medial moraine – left in the middle, where two

glaciers come together.

Glaciers

● Kettle – occurs when a large chunk of ice becomes buried in the soil. When the glacier retreats, the ice melts forming a lake.

● Esker – a sinuous ridge of sorted till that forms as sediment is laid in a river that forms on or under a glacier.

● Kame – a mound of sort till that forms in a lake that form on a glacier.