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Landforms and Landscapes of Mountain Glaciers

Landforms and Landscapes of Mountain Glaciers. Objectives. Examine the current distribution of mountain glaciers and to comment on the Late Cenozoic extent of these glaciers Describe the characteristic landforms produced by mountain glacier erosion

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Landforms and Landscapes of Mountain Glaciers

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  1. Landforms and Landscapes of Mountain Glaciers

  2. Objectives • Examine the current distribution of mountain glaciers and to comment on the Late Cenozoic extent of these glaciers • Describe the characteristic landforms produced by mountain glacier erosion • Discuss the landforms produced by glacial deposition in mountain landscapes

  3. Global Distribution of Mountain Glaciers • North America • Major clusters lie in the Arctic islands of Canada, southeastern Alaska, Canada’s Yukon & Coast Mountains of British Columbia, and Canadian Rocky Mountains • South America • Just south of 45°S in southern Andes of Chile

  4. Global Distribution of Mountain Glaciers • Africa • Only two exist • Mt. Kilimanjaro • Mt. Kenya • New Zealand • Occur in Southern Alps • Several glaciers still exist around Mt. Cook

  5. Global Distribution of Mountain Glaciers • European Alps • Most famous • Extends from southeastern France to Swiss-Italian border • Mont Blanc is highest sitting at 4807 m (15,771 ft)

  6. Global Distribution of Mountain Glaciers • South-central Asian Alps • Largest mountain system • Extends from Afghanistan to southwestern China • World’s highest mountain – Mt. Everest 8850 m (29,035 ft)

  7. Erosional Landforms of Mountain Glaciers • Glacial Troughs – widening of valley bottom producing a U-shaped valley

  8. Erosional Landforms of Mountain Glaciers • Truncated Spurs • ridge of land is cut off producing a blunt-ended ridge; caused by erosion of moving glaciers • Hanging Valley • Tributary valley sits higher than main valley floor • Marked by scenic waterfall

  9. Formation of High-Mountain Landforms • Accumulation of snow • Downslope movement of ice under gravity • Glacial erosion occurs • Transforms source areas of glaciers

  10. High-Mountain Landforms • Cirques – amphitheater-like landform; bowl-shaped, steep-sided depression in bedrock

  11. High-Mountain Landforms • Horn • Multiple cirque develop around mountain peak • Steep-sided, sharp-edged peak remains

  12. High-Mountain Landforms • Aretes • Razor-sharp, jagged ridges rising above glacial troughs • Forms at the interaction of two large cirques • Rock Steps • Step-like profile formed by differential resistance

  13. High-Mountain Landforms Glacial Lakes are depressions formed by glacial erosion and filled by water during interglacial period • Tarns • Lakes dammed up behind edge of cirque

  14. High-Mountain Landforms • Fjords • Narrow, steep-sided, elongated ocean inlet • Area where glacial troughs inundated by seawater

  15. Depositional Landforms of Mountain Glaciers • Rock Flour • Grounded up, fine-grained sediment • Lateral Moraines • Ridge of debris located along both sides of a glacier • Medial Moraines • Linear debris marked the boundary between two glaciers

  16. Depositional Landforms of Mountain Glaciers

  17. Postglacial Landscape Change • Glacial areas are not stable • Modifications are quite rapid • Produce scenic areas

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