Glaciers Flashcards
Results from angular pieces of rock grinding and scraping away at the valley sides and floor. It tends to produce smooth landforms and is like the action of sand paper.
Abrasion
The process of change in state of soil or rock through actions such as burrowing or root growth undertaken by living organisms.
Biological weathering
The decomposition or rock by water, oxygen, carbon dioxide and various organic acids. It is especially active in wetter and warmer conditions.
Chemical weathering
A bowl-shaped hollow area formed by glaciation, sometimes containing lakes or tarns. Also known as cwms in Wales.
Corrie
When temperatures rise and glaciers begin to retreat (melt).
Deglaciation
The wearing away of the landscape.
Erode
The wearing away or rocks and other deposits on the Earth’s surface by the action of water, ice, wind, etc.
Erosion
Occurs when you were continually seeps into cracks in rock, freezes and expands, eventually breaking the rock apart.
Freeze/thaw weathering or frost shattering
The build up of ice on land during colder periods of time.
Glaciation
A slow moving ice mass, formed over a long period from compacted snow.
Glacier
Different mass movements occur on slopes under different conditions.
Mass movement
Where ice freezes onto bedrock, fractures it and then the rock pieces are embedded into the base and side of the glacier. Surfaces affected by plucking tend to be jagged.
Plucking
A sharply pointed mountain peak that has been formed by glaciation.
Pyramidal peak
A wide valley carved out by glaciers.
U-shaped valley
The mechanical and chemical breakdown of rocks by the action of rain, snow, cold etc. It usually occurs at the surface of the Earth but can occur below.
Weathering
