Glaciers T5: Weathering, erosion and associated landforms

Question 1

What is plucking?

Answer 1

When meltwater at the base of the glacier freezes around a rock and the glacier moves down the valley then the rock is pulled out the ground with it.

Question 2

What is abrasion?

Answer 2

This is when the glacier acts like sandpaper and erodes the valley floor.

Question 3

What is freeze thaw weathering?

Answer 3

This is when water enters a crack in a rock, the water freezes and expands (by 9%) this process is repeated. The repetitive strain the rock eventually causes it to break off.

Question 4

What is fracture?

Answer 4

This is when the weight of the glacier causes surrounding rock mainly the base to fracture.

Question 5

what is dilation?

Answer 5

This is when overlaying material on the glacier is moved and then subsequently causes fracture.

Question 6

What is meltwater erosion?

Answer 6

This is when next water dissolves surrounding rock. It is a fluvioglacial process. It only occurs on soluble rock such as lime stone.

Question 7

What is a corrie?

Answer 7

A preglacial hollow that is enlarged by plucking and abrasion. It is often the start of a glacier.

Question 8

What is a tarn?

Answer 8

This is when rainwater fills a hollow left by a corrie, alongside the glacial meltwater.

Question 9

What is an arete?

Answer 9

It is a long narrow ridge formed when two carries form adjacent to each other.

Question 10

What is a pyramidal peak?

Answer 10

Its a sharp mountain peak formed when 3 or more glaciers or cores diverge from one point.
Example: matterhorn Switzerland.

Question 11

What is a ribbon lake?

Answer 11

It occurs when a glacier travels over bands of soft and hard rock. The soft rock is eroded but the hard rock either side doesn’t. The hollow created fills with meltwater creating a lake.

Question 12

What is a glacial trough?

Answer 12

It’s a trough created in the valley that is carved out by the weight of the glacier as it moves through it.

Question 13

What is a hanging valley?

Answer 13

When smaller glaciers perpendicular to the main glacier flow they are cut off by the main glacier and the trough they make is left suspended in the air bu the trough created by the main glacier.

Question 14

What is a truncated spur?

Answer 14

Glaciers flow in the easiest route possible and will erode what’s in its path, this means that it erodes any interlocking spurs creating truncated spurs.

Question 15

What is a Roche mountenee?

Answer 15

A hill shaped land form created by the glacier the smooth side, slowly sloping is known as the stoss and is formed via abrasion and the steppingstones jagged side is created by plucking.

Question 16

What is a crag and tail?

Answer 16

They are another hill like landform and they are formed when a glacier moves over resistant rock. The soft rock is then tapered down.

Question 17

What are striations?

Answer 17

They are scratches on the bedrock caused by debris lodged in the glacier scraping long the floor.

Question 18

What is fluvioglacial erosion?

Answer 18

Fluvioglacial streams operate under high velocity and pressure and therefore cause erosion of the bedrock.

Question 19

What are the 4 fluvioglacial processes?

Answer 19

1. Hydraulic action
2. Abrasion
3. Corosion
4. Attrition

Question 20

What is Hydraulic action?

Answer 20

The power if the water eroding rock.

Question 21

What is abrasion?

Answer 21

It is sandpaper like erosion created by the water, also occurs with the glacier itself.

Question 22

What is corrosion?

Answer 22

This is when the water dissolves soluble rock such as lime stone. this can also be known as solution.

Question 23

What is attrition?

Answer 23

This occurs when rocks held in the water hit against each other or surrounding rock and consequently break it up.