Glaciated Landscapes

Just what exactly do we mean when we talk about glacial and periglacial landscapes. Cold environments cover about one fifth of the Earth's landscape. These are the areas closest to the polar regions.

There are many factors that influence the growth and decline of glacial landscapes. These include altitude, tectonic activity, geology and climate. Over longer periods, solar activity and the Earth's tendency to 'wobble' can also influence global temp.

In a system, a range of components can effect the state of the whole. Glacial landscapes, when considered as a system, have a number of constituent parts. The energy of a glacier can erode a landscape and sculpt new landforms, for example.

Glaciers are formed over an extended period as snow is gradually compacted into neve/firn. After twenty to forty years of this compacting, glacial ice is formed, which pushes air out from the mass.

Weathering, erosion, transportation, and deposition are among the processes in which a glacier engages. Each category has a number of sub-categories such as freeze-thaw action and plucking.

This MindMap illustrates a number of variables which can effect levels of glacial erosion. The angularity, quantity and lithology of debris, for instance, may cause variation.

Even in warmer climates, such as ours, we can witness the evidence of the glaciers that had covered Northern Europe as recently as 12,000 years ago. Drumlins, moraines, erratics and crags are the smoking gun of glacial intervention.

Fluvioglacial processes are those that relate to the meltwater that flows from a glacier. Surface melting and basel melting are the primary means of water release for glaciers. Moulins are characteristic of these changes.

Periglacial processes have the power to create beautiful and majestic landscapes. Solifuction, gelifluction,frost creep and rock falls are all processes that fall within the heading of periglacial.

Here are fifteen questions to help you review what we have covered on this course on Glaciated Landscapes. The questions are arranged in a number of different formats, containing pictures, mcqs and other formats.