Ø An ice age is a period where many con2nents are

covered by ice sheets. Last ice age 12,000 years ago.

Ø For many years the snow and ice built up un2l it was
compacted together to form huge masses of ice called
Glaciers.
Ø Glaciers are found in upland areas. Gravity moves them
downwards (downslope). Some glaciers melt & some
join to form ice sheets.

Processes of glacial erosion:

Ø Plucking - When a glacier moves, fric2on between the
glacier & the ground causes the boJom of the glacier to
melt. The meltwater seeps into the cracks of the rocks
beneath the glacier. The water freezes. When the glacier
moves the melt water is plucked form the rocks. The
rocks are carried away with the glacier.
Ø Abrasion – when the glacier moves, the rocks aJached
to it, scratch the surface rock and the side rock.
Stria1ons are the marks leN from the scratches.
Stria2ons tell us which direc2on the glacier was moving.
Landforms of glacial erosion:
A cirque is a basin-shaped hollow in a mountain. It has 3
steep sides; it is the birthplace of a glacier.
• It is formed when snow builds up in the basin, it is then
compressed to form ice.
• The ice plucks rocks from the sides of the mountain as it
begins to move. The rocks make the basin bigger and
deeper through abrasion.
• The ice eventually overflows, and gravity forces it
downhill.
• The ice that is leN behind, melts, and forms a lake called
a tarn.
An Arête is a narrow, steep-sided ridge between 2 cirques.
• An arête forms when 3 cirques form next to each other
on a mountain.
• The ground between them begins to erode backwards
and it leaves a narrow ridge called an arête between the
2 cirques.
A pyramidal peak is a steep sided peak between 3 or more
cirques.
• When 3 or more cirques form around a mountain top. A
steep peak remains around them.
Glacial transporta-on and deposi-on:
A moraine is the name given to the material
transported & deposited on the valley floor by a
glacier.
When a glacier travels through a valley, it drops off
some of the material that it has eroded from the
upper slopes, this deposit is known as lateral
moraine. It is a ridge of material at the sides of the
valley. When 2 glaciers meet, the lateral moraines
of each glacier also meet, creaAng a medal
moraine.
Material is also moved along and deposited
underneath a glacier. This is called the ground
marine. Finally, when the glacier stops moving, a
ridge, made up of the material that it was pushing
in front of it, is deposited. This material is called
terminal moraine.
It tells us where the glacier ended. Other ridges of
the deposiAon material are found behind the
terminal moraine and are called end moraines.
People and glacia-on:
Benefits – tourism
BeauAful landscapes are created by glaciers and
are very good tourist aIracAons.
Lakes are used for recreaAonal purposes.

NegaAves – flooding
Today’s glaciers and ice caps in the ArcAc and
AntarcAca are melAng at an alarming rate. This
causes sea levels to rise if they conAnue to rise it
will cause major flooding.