How do Glaciers Effect the Land? By erosion & deposition

Glacial erosion forms when glaciers sculpt, carve and carry away the land beneath them. Glacial erosion forms when glaciers sculpt, carve and carry away the land beneath them. Glacial deposition is created by deposition, or what a glacier leaves as it retreats or melts away. Glacial deposition is created by deposition, or what a glacier leaves as it retreats or melts away.

Glacial Erosion A glacier's weight and movement, can re-shape the landscape. (this takes hundreds or thousands of years) A glacier's weight and movement, can re-shape the landscape. (this takes hundreds or thousands of years) The ice erodes the land surface and carries the broken rocks and soil debris away. The ice erodes the land surface and carries the broken rocks and soil debris away.

Types of Glacial Erosion Glacial Valleys Horns Fjords Cirques Aretes

Glacial Valleys trough-shaped, with steep vertical cliffs where entire mountainsides were removed by glacial action. trough-shaped, with steep vertical cliffs where entire mountainsides were removed by glacial action. Ex: Yosemite National Park. glaciers sheared away mountainsides, creating deep valleys with vertical walls.  Ex: Yosemite National Park. glaciers sheared away mountainsides, creating deep valleys with vertical walls.  Yo

Hanging Valley Forms when small tributary glaciers join larger glaciers Forms when small tributary glaciers join larger glaciers Since small glaciers are unable to erode down into the landscape very far a hanging valley formed. Since small glaciers are unable to erode down into the landscape very far a hanging valley formed. The larger the glacier, the deeper the valley it can erode. The larger the glacier, the deeper the valley it can erode.

Look at the hanging valley!

Fjords  Long, narrow coastal valleys with steep sides & rounded bottoms.  Fjords form when a glacier erodes the land below sea level. When the glacier melts, the ocean water fills in the valley floor.

Cirques Created when glaciers erode backwards into mountainsides, creating rounded hollows shaped like shallow bowls. Created when glaciers erode backwards into mountainsides, creating rounded hollows shaped like shallow bowls.

Tarn Lake A tarn is a mountain lake or pool, formed in a cirque after the glacier melts.

Aretes Jagged, narrow ridges created where the back walls of two cirque glaciers meet, eroding the ridge on both sides. Jagged, narrow ridges created where the back walls of two cirque glaciers meet, eroding the ridge on both sides. Arete 

Horns Matterhorn in Switzerland   Created when several cirque glaciers erode a mountain until all that is left is a steep, pointed peak with sharp, ridge-like aretes leading up to the top.

Types of Glacial Erosion

Glacial Deposition Landforms are also created by deposition, or what a glacier leaves as it retreats or melts away. Landforms are also created by deposition, or what a glacier leaves as it retreats or melts away. Kettle Lakes Kames Kettle Lakes Kames Moraines Till Drumlins Erratic Boulders Erratic Boulders

Till Material that is deposited as glaciers retreat, leaving behind mounds of gravel, small rocks, sand and mud. Material that is deposited as glaciers retreat, leaving behind mounds of gravel, small rocks, sand and mud. It is made from the rock and soil ground up beneath the glacier as it moves. It is made from the rock and soil ground up beneath the glacier as it moves.

Moraines Material a glacier picks up or pushes as it moves. Material a glacier picks up or pushes as it moves. They form along the surface and sides of the glacier. They form along the surface and sides of the glacier. As a glacier retreats, the ice melts away from underneath the moraines, leaving long, narrow ridges that show where the glacier used to be. As a glacier retreats, the ice melts away from underneath the moraines, leaving long, narrow ridges that show where the glacier used to be. Glaciers don't always leave moraines behind, because sometimes the glacier's own meltwater carries the material away. Glaciers don't always leave moraines behind, because sometimes the glacier's own meltwater carries the material away.

Types of Moraines

 Medial Moraine

Kames Small steep-sided mounds of soil and gravel that form adjacent to the glacier. Small steep-sided mounds of soil and gravel that form adjacent to the glacier. They form from streams flowing out of the glacier that carry rock and soil. They form from streams flowing out of the glacier that carry rock and soil.

Kettle lakes Form when a piece of glacier ice breaks off & becomes buried by glacial till or moraine deposits. Form when a piece of glacier ice breaks off & becomes buried by glacial till or moraine deposits. Over time the ice melts, leaving a small depression in the land, filled with water. very small, more like ponds than lakes. Over time the ice melts, leaving a small depression in the land, filled with water. very small, more like ponds than lakes.

Erratic Boulders Glaciers pick up rocks as they slowly move along. The glaciers carry the rocks far away from their source. Glaciers pick up rocks as they slowly move along. The glaciers carry the rocks far away from their source. When glaciers melt they leave behind anything they pick up along the way (huge rocks, called erratic boulders) When glaciers melt they leave behind anything they pick up along the way (huge rocks, called erratic boulders)

Drumlins long, streamlined tear-drop-shaped formations. long, streamlined tear-drop-shaped formations. They form when a glacier deposits material as it is flowing and then moves over it. They form when a glacier deposits material as it is flowing and then moves over it. Because they are deposited and shaped by glacier movement, all the drumlins left by a particular glacier will face the same direction. Because they are deposited and shaped by glacier movement, all the drumlins left by a particular glacier will face the same direction. Often, groups of several thousand drumlins are found in one place, looking very much like whalebacks when seen from above. Often, groups of several thousand drumlins are found in one place, looking very much like whalebacks when seen from above.

Drumlins

Glacial Striations are scratches or gouges cut into the bedrock by process of glacial abrasion. are scratches or gouges cut into the bedrock by process of glacial abrasion.