Erosion and Deposition Glaciers

● Glacier - a large mass of ice that moves over land ● Alpine glaciers – occur in mountain and are erosional ● Continental glaciers – occur on flatter land and are mostly depositional.

Glaciers ● Glaciers occur in a cold region where more snow falls than melts each year. ● In alpine glaciers the weight of the heavy mass of ice causes it to flow downward slowly. ● A continental glacier spreads out under its own weight.

Alpine Glaciers ● Cirque – a bowl-shaped erosion near the top of a mountain caused by a glacier through ice wedging. ● Horn – a sharp peak where 3 or 4 cirques come together. ● Arete – a ridge that forms where 2 cirques come together. ● Alpine glaciers create U-shaped valleys.

Moraines ● Till – different sized sediments deposited by a glaciers. ● Moraine – a deposit left behind by a retreating glacier. ● End moraine – left at the end or toe of a glacier. ● Lateral moraine – left at the sides of a glacier. ● Medial moraine – left in the middle, where two glaciers come together.

Glaciers ● Kettle – occurs when a large chunk of ice becomes buried in the soil. When the glacier retreats, the ice melts forming a lake. ● Esker – a sinuous ridge of sorted till that forms as sediment is laid in a river that forms on or under a glacier. ● Kame – a mound of sort till that forms in a lake that form on a glacier.