How do cirque glaciers form

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Encyclopedia of Snow, Ice and Glaciers Edition. Editors: Vijay P. Singh, Pratap Singh, Umesh K. Contents Search. Cirque Glaciers. Reference work entry First Online: 26 August How to cite. Synonyms Mountain glacier. This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access. Ahlmann, H. Contribution to the physics of glaciers. Geographical Journal , 86 , 97— Google Scholar.

Andrews, J. Glacial systems: an approach to glaciers and their environments. Duxbury Press, pp. Bakke, J. Rapid oceanic and atmospheric changes during the Younger Dryas cold period. Nature Geoscience , 2 , — Ballantyne, C. Glaciological constraints on protalus rampart development. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes , 5 , — Benn, D.

Because cirques are areas of snow accumulation, the direction in which they point their aspect can tell us something about the links between climate and glacier growth in the past 2, If looking from above see image above , an interesting observation is that most cirques in Snowdonia face to the north or east 14 and these also held most as well as the largest Loch Lomond Stadial glaciers 5, This is due to two factors.

Firstly, north-facing cirques receive less solar radiation than south-facing cirques in the Northern Hemisphere , resulting in lower air temperatures and less ice-melt across the year Secondly, where prevailing winds blow mainly from the west, the snow on high ground will be blown down into east-facing cirques, adding to glacier mass 5, Try to identify different cirque types e.

Glacial cirques as palaeoenvironmental indicators: their potential and limitations. Earth-Science Reviews , , Allometric development of glacial cirque form: geological, relief and regional effects on the cirques of Wales. Geomorphology , 80 , Quaternary Science Reviews , 26 , Morphometry of cirques in the Kintail-Affric-Cannich area of northwest Scotland. A mass movement origin for cirques. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 31, The sediment budget of an alpine cirque.

Geological Society of America Bulletin , , Quantitative evaluation of nivation in the Colorado Front Range. Geological Society of America Bulletin , 87 , Periglacial weathering and headwall erosion in cirque glacier bergschrunds. Lakes called tarns often occupy these depressions once the glaciers retreat.

Erosion by Valley Glaciers Valley glaciers form several unique features through erosion. A cirque is a rounded hollow carved in the side of a mountain by a glacier. The highest cliff of a cirque is called the headwall.

They form in bowl-shaped depressions, also known as bedrock hollows or cirques, located on the side of, or near mountains. They characteristically form by the accumulation of snow and ice avalanching from upslope areas. It generally results from erosion beneath the bergschrund of a glacier. Cirques are formed by the erosive activity of glaciers and often contain a small lake. They form in mountains and flow through mountain river valleys.