Erosional processes leading to formation of landforms

Question 1

Cirque/corrie

Answer 1

• Armchair shaped hollow. EXAMPLE: Snowdonia
• Usually in Northern Hemisphere
• Snow accumulates in hollow, then becomes fern then ice.
• Ice moves from gravity VIA rotational slip, deepening and widening the cirque.
• Corrie lip is developed.
• Backwall becomes steeper due to plucking and abrasion.
• Tarn is formed when glacier melts in the hollow.

Question 2

Arete

Answer 2

• EXAMPLE: Snowdonia
• 2 cirques back to back eroding backwards.
• Left with narrow ridge of resistant land.

Question 3

Pyramidal Peak

Answer 3

• 3 cirques eroding backwards towards each other.

- Left with triangular shaped sharp mountain peak.

Question 4

Trough

L.L

Answer 4

• U shaped valley
• Area where a valley glacier travelled, widened due to previous abrasion and plucking.
• Usually features a ribbon lake as glacial trough fills with water.

Question 5

Truncated spurs

L.L

Answer 5

• End of a mountain whereby a glacier has previously ‘buldozed’ VIA abrasion and plucking.

Question 6

Hanging Valley

L.L

Answer 6

• Old tributaries, once feeders to the valley, are suspended and left as hanging valleys.

Question 7

Ribbon Lake

L.L

Answer 7

• A trough which is filled with water.

- Long, narrow lake.