3.4.2

Glacial Processes

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Glacial Processes

Glaciers are large ice masses that fill valleys and hollows. A summary of the major glacial processes can be found below:

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Freeze-thaw weathering

  • Water expands when it freezes. When water fills cracks in rocks, if it then freezes, it expands, putting pressure on the rock. The water will then melt, but it has put pressure on the rock. Eventually, this process of freezing and thawing will wear down rock. This is called freeze-thaw weathering.
    • Over time, this causes cracks to widen as the process repeats itself.
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Erosion

  • Glaciers erode the landscape as they move downhill by:
    • Plucking - this happens when meltwater freezes on a piece of rock surrounding the glacier and then rips off bits of rock when it moves.
    • Abrasion - this happens when pieces of rock in the ice scrape against rock at the base of the glacier.
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Movement and transportation

  • Glaciers move in two principal ways:
    • Rotational slip - at the top of glaciers, circular motion can erode out hollows, which get deeper over time.
    • Bulldozing - at the front of glaciers, rocks and debris are pushed downhill in a straight line.
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Deposition

  • Most material carried by glaciers comes in the form of unsorted mixtures called till.
    • Till is deposited when the ice carrying it melts.
  • Meltwater streams can wash away fine material from the front of glaciers. In this case, the material is called outwash and is sorted by size and deposited in layers.

Jump to other topics

1The Challenge of Natural Hazards

1.1Natural Hazards

1.2Tectonic Hazards

1.3Weather Hazards

1.4Climate Change

2The Living World

3Physical Landscapes in the UK

3.1The UK Physical Landscape

3.2Coastal Landscapes in the UK

3.3River Landscapes in the UK

3.4Glacial Landscapes in the UK

4Urban Issues & Challenges

5The Changing Economic World

6The Challenge of Resource Management

6.1Resource Management

6.2Food

6.3Water

6.4Energy

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