Geology 101 - Introduction to Physical Geology

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Table of Glacial Landforms

Erosional Landforms
Depositional Landforms

Erosional Glacial Landforms

Landform
Shape & Characteristics Scale
Name

amphitheater or semi-circular bowl shaped feature with steep sides

100s of m to several
cirque high elevation zones of alpine glaciation
km across
formed by alpine glaciation

a sharp jagged ridge

10s to 1000s of m
arête separates one cirque or glacial valley from another
high, km long
formed by alpine glaciateion

sharp, pointed peak with steep ridges

100s to 1000s of m
horn between cirques or glacial valleys
tall
formed by alpine glaciation

U-shaped valley that ends abruptly at a dropoff into a larger valley 100s of m to km
hanging
intermediate elevation zones of alpine glaciation wide, km to 10s of
valley
formed by alpine glaciation km long

a large, deep valley with a U-shaped profile; may have a flat bottom where filled with glacial
trough or U- sediment 100s of m to km
shaped intermediate to lower elevation zones of alpine glaciation wide, km to 10s of
valley formed alpine glaciation or continental glaciers that flow in channels through a high mountain km long
range

a lowest point or notch in an arrete

10s to 100s of m
col higher elevation zones of alpine glaciation
deep
formed by alpine glaciation

a rock promontory that is streamlined on the side facing the direction from which the glacier
came and abraded the rock, steep on the side toward which the glacier flowed and from which
roche
large pieces of rock were plucked m to 100s of km
moutounnée
located in zones of exposed bedrock at the base of alpine or continental glaciers
formed by alpine or continental glaciation

a water-filled depression in the center of a cirque

10s of m to km
tarn located in higher elevation zones of alpine glaciation
across
formed by alpine glaciation

a smooth veneer on the surface of glacially abraded rock

polish can be located on any glacially abraded rock mm to cm thick
formed by alpine or continental glaciation

straight, parallel lines on surface of glacially abraded rock

mm to cm wide, cm
striations can be located on any glacially abraded rock
to 100s m long
formed by alpine or continental glaciation

a groove on the surface of glacially abraded rock cm to 10s of m wide,

furrow can be located on any glacially abraded rock 10s of m to 100s of
formed by alpine or continental glaciation m long

a flat or scallop-shaped are on glacially abraded rock that ends at a sharply broken edge; the
glacier flowed from the direction of the smooth or flat side and to the direction of the sharp
chatter
edged side cm to m across
marks
can be located on any glacially abraded rock
formed by alpine or continental glaciation

flattened faces of rock

cm to 100s of m
facets can be located on any glacially abraded rock
wide
formed by alpine or continental glaciation

Depositional Glacial Landforms

Landform
Shape & Characteristics Scale
Name
Deposited directly from glacial ice

ground made of till deposited beneath glacier

m to 10s of m
moraine flat, widespread, may be patchy or discontinuous

terminal made of till deposited at the terminus of a glacier m to 100s of m tall, 10s of m to km wide,
moraine arcuate or lobate for continental glacier( for continental glaciers 1000s km long

recessional made of till deposited at the terminus of a glacier that retreating for a while m to 100s of m tall, 10s of m to km wide,
moraine arcuate or lobate for continental glacier( for continental glaciers 1000s km long

lateral made of till deposited between a valley glacier and the side of its valley m to 10s of m tall and wide, may be 10s
moraine ridge or bench on side of valley of m to 10s of km long

made of till deposited between two valley glaciers that joined together as
medial m to 10s of m tall and wide, may be 10s
tributaries
moraine of m to 10s of km long
ridge that parallels length of the glacier

made of till forced into a hollow at the base of a broad glacier moving
across flat ground
commonly elongate hill with steeper end facing direction from which 100s of m to km long, 10s to 100s of m
drumlin
glacier came, less steep tapering end facing direction to which glacier tall, 100s of m wide
flowed
commonly occur in clusters known as drumlin fields

Deposited by liquid water associated with a glacier

outwash flat zone filled with bedded sand and gravel sloping away from the
100s of m to 10s of km
plain terminus of a glacier

bowl shaped depression in glacial outwash or ground moraine, may be

kettle partly filled with water 10s of km across
forms where a large chunk of ice is left by a retreating glacier

made of outwash, bedded layers of sand and gravel, deposited in contact

kame with glacial ice 10s of m to km wide, m to 10s of m tall
shapes include mounds and flat-topped hills

kame m to 10s of m tall, m to 100s of m wide,

kame deposited as a bench between a melting glacier and a valley side
terrace 100s of m to 10s of km long

made of outwash deposited at base of stream flowing in a tunnel beneath

a glacier m to 10s of m tall, 10s of m to 100s of m
esker
sinuous (curving as a stream channel curves) wide, 100s of m to 10s of km long
deposited near terminus of a broad glacier on flat ground

glacial lake made of mostly of clay and silt deposited in a lake adjacent to a glacier
100s of m to 10s of km across
bed flat plain

Deposited by wind that redeposited glacial outwash

silt piled in a blanket across the landscape

loess 10s of m tall, 10s to 100s of km wide
may form rounded ridges or hills shaped by windflow

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Geology 101 - Introduction to Physical Geology

Basics Table--Glacial Landforms
Created by Ralph L. Dawes, Ph.D. and Cheryl D. Dawes, including figures unless otherwise noted
updated: 7/10/11

Unless otherwise specified, this work by Washington State Colleges is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.