Glacial Landscapes Flashcards

To understand and remember the definitions connected to glacial landscapes in the place of the UK

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

Abrasion

A

Erosion caused by rocks and boulders in the base of the glacier acting like a giant file scratching and scraping the rocks below.

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2
Q

Arête

A

A sharp, knife-like ridge formed between two corries cutting back by processes of erosion and freeze thaw.

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3
Q

Bulldozing

A

Ice pushes material of all shapes and sizes as it moves slowly forward.

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4
Q

Conservatoion

A

Managing the environment in order to preserve, protect or restore it.

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5
Q

Corrie

A

(Also called cirque) Armchair-shaped hollow in the mountainside formed by glacial erosion, rotational slip and freeze-thaw weathering. This is where the valley glacier begins. when ice melts, it can leave a small circular lake called a tarn.

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6
Q

Drumlin

A

A hill made of glacial till deposited by a moving glacier, usually elongated or oval in shape, with the longer axis parallel to the former direction of ice.

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7
Q

Erratics

A

rocks which have been transported and deposited by a glacier some distance fro their source region.

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8
Q

Freeze-thaw weathering

A

(also called frost-shattering) It occurs in cold climates when temperatures are often around freezing point and where exposed rocks contain many cracks. Water enters the cracks during the warmer day and freezes during the colder night. As the water turns into ice it expands and exerts pressure on the surrounding rock, causing pieces to break off.

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9
Q

Glacial trough

A

A river valley widened and deepened by the erosive action of glaciers; it becomes ‘U’-shaped instead of the normal ‘V’-shape of a river valley.

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10
Q

Hanging Valley

A

A tributary valley to the main glacier, too cold and high up for ice too be able to easily move. It therefore was not eroded as much as the lower main valley, and today is often the site for a waterfall crashing several hundred meters to the main floor.

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11
Q

Land use conflicts

A

Disagreements which arise when different users of the land do not agree on how it should be used.

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12
Q

Moraine

A

Frost-shattered rock debris and material eroded from the valley floor and sides, transported and deposited by glaciers.

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13
Q

Outwash

A

Material, chiefly sand or gravel, deposited by meltwater streams in front of, and underneath, a glacier. The material is sorted and rounded by water action.

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14
Q

Plucking

A

A type of erosion where melt water in the glacier freezes onto rocks, and as the ice moves forward it plucks or pulls out large pieces along the rock joints

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15
Q

Pyramidal peak

A

Where several corries cut back to meet at a central point, the mountain takes the form of a steep pyramid.

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16
Q

Ribbon lake

A

A long, narrow lake found in glaciated valleys formed in locations where the glacier had more erosive power, eg in areas of softer rock, where the valley gradient temporarily steepened or a tributary glacier joined the main valley.

17
Q

Rotational slip

A

This occurs when the ice moves in a circular motion. This process can help to erode hollows in the landscape, and deepen hollows into bowl shapes.

18
Q

Till

A

An unsorted mixture of sand, clay and boulders carried by a glacier and deposited as ground moraine over a large area.

19
Q

Truncated spur

A

A former river valley spur which has been sliced off by a valley glacier, former cliff-like edges.