Chapter 4 - Glacial and Glacial-Fluviatile - Alpine (Ice Stream)

Question 1

Cirque

Answer 1

Erosional feature; A horseshoe-shaped hollow high on a mountainside that was created by the erosive action at the head of a glacier

Question 2

Tarn

Answer 2

Erosional feature; a small deep lake formed in a cirque basin

Question 3

Glacial Polish

Answer 3

Erosional feature; a smooth surface produced on bedrock by abrasion by the movement of a glacier

Question 4

Striations

Answer 4

Erosional feature; lines scraped into the bedrock by rocks being carried along at the base of the glacier. Typically indicate direction of glacial movement

Question 5

Glacial Trough (U-Shaped Valley)

Answer 5

Erosional feature; a steep-sided valley that extends down from the cirque in which glacial action has widened and deepened an existing valley

Question 6

Glacial Steps or Stairway

Answer 6

Erosional feature; a series of cross-valley steps extending down from the cirque, these steps are characterized by a relatively flat floor or with an a slight upvalley slope broken by steeper sections stepping down valley

Question 7

Paternoster Lakes

Answer 7

Erosional feature; A series of chain of lakes occupying the glacial steps

Question 8

Hanging Valley

Answer 8

Erosional feature; a U-shaped glacial tributary valley truncated by a deeper U-shaped glacial main valley whose mouth is relatively high on the main valley wall; due to the greater erosive power of the glacier

Question 9

Arete

Answer 9

Erosional feature; a jagged sharp sawtooth-like ridge that results from the growth of cirques on opposite sides of a mountain ridge by alpine glaciation

Question 10

Col

Answer 10

Erosional feature; a narrow sharp-edged pass or sag between cirque head and side walls along an arete

Question 11

Horn

Answer 11

Erosional feature; A jagged sharp peak at the high point in an arete which has been sculpted by the erosional action of three or more cirques; remainder of the original mountain summit in a region modified by alpine glaciation

Question 12

Monuments (Tinds)

Answer 12

Erosional feature; a horn that has been isolated by the lateral intersection of cirques

Question 13

Truncated or Faceted Spur

Answer 13

Erosional feature; a ridge, which once protruded into a pre-glacial valley, that has been truncated by the abrasion of glacial action as it straightened the valley (inverted V-shaped face)

Question 14

Fjords, fiards (fjards)

Answer 14

Erosional feature; a submerged glacial trough or valley at its seaward end resulting from the raising of sea level as the glaciers melted. The fiard is a shallower and shorter, but often broader, feature than the fjord

Question 15

Trough Lakes

Answer 15

Erosional feature; similar to fjords in that they consist of a long glacial trough and contain water but are found above sea level