Glacial Erosion

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Questions and Answers

What is glacial erosion?

Glacial erosion is the carving and shaping of the land beneath a moving glacier.

What is plucking?

Plucking is the erosion and transport of large chunks of rocks by a moving glacier.

How does plucking occur?

Plucking occurs when water melts below the glacier and seeps into cracks within the underlying bedrock. This water freezes and melts, weakening the bonds holding pieces of bedrock in place, allowing the glacier to pluck them.

What happens to the landscape in the path of a moving glacier?

The landscape in the path of a moving glacier is subjected to glacial erosion, which carves and shapes the land. Signup and view all the answers

How fast do glaciers typically move?

Glaciers typically move very slowly, often only a few centimeters per day. Signup and view all the answers

What is a cirque and how is it formed?

A cirque is a round hollow with steep sides that resembles an amphitheater. It is formed through the erosion of a mountain by a glacier. Signup and view all the answers

What is a tarn and how is it formed?

A tarn is a small mountain lake of trapped water. It is formed when a cirque traps water. Signup and view all the answers

What is a glacial horn and how is it formed?

A glacial horn is a sharp, angular peak formed when several glaciers erode a mountain in different directions. Signup and view all the answers

What is an arête and how is it formed?

An arête is a sharp, narrow mountain ridge formed when two glaciers erode opposite sides of a mountain. Signup and view all the answers

What is a roche moutonnee and how is it formed?

A roche moutonnee is a mass of rocks carved by a passing glacier. It has a smooth, rounded side caused by abrasion and a steep, ragged side where rocks were plucked from the surface. Signup and view all the answers