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)