Glacial landform

A natural surface feature created by glacial erosion, deposition, or meltwater activity. Glacial landforms record how ice moved, carried sediment, and reshaped landscapes.

Glacier: A persistent body of dense ice that moves under its own weight. Moving ice supplies the force and material that shape glacial landforms.
U-shaped valley: A broad valley with a flat floor and steep sides, commonly carved by a glacier. It is a characteristic large-scale result of glacial erosion.
Plucking (glaciation): The detachment of bedrock fragments by glacier ice as it moves over a surface. Plucking helps steepen and deepen glacial valleys and basins.
Glacial geomorphology: The study of landforms and processes associated with glaciers and ice sheets. This field interprets how glacial features formed and changed.
Glacial erosion: The wearing away of rock and sediment by moving glacier ice. Erosion cuts valleys, basins, and other features into bedrock.
Fjord: A long, narrow, deep inlet formed when the sea floods a glacially carved valley. Fjords preserve deeply eroded valleys now occupied by seawater.
Glacial striation: A linear scratch or groove cut into bedrock by debris at a glacier’s base. Striations preserve evidence of ice movement across exposed rock.
Paleoclimatology: The reconstruction of past climates using natural records and indicators. Glacial deposits and erosion patterns preserve evidence of former climates.
Glacial deposition: The accumulation of sediment released or transported by glacier ice. Deposited sediment builds many landforms as glaciers advance and retreat.
Moraine: An accumulation of debris transported and deposited by a glacier. Moraines mark places where ice margins paused or concentrated debris.

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