Online Geography Resources

Base knowledge and understanding

Context

The aim of this lesson:

• To be able to explain the advance and retreat of glaciers.
• To be able to explain the main features resulting from the processes of erosion and deposition by glaciers [glacial trough, a cirque, hanging valley, an arête, a pyramidal peak, an erratic, a drumlin, various types of moraine].
• To be able to recognise the main features resulting from the processes of erosion and deposition by glaciers on a topographic map.

You should be able to do the following:

• construct a systems diagram for a glacier with inputs, processes and outputs

Column headings: inputs | processes and transfers | outputs

meltwater | snowfall | calving (when glacier flows into a body of water) | avalanches from the valley sides | evaporation | solar energy | landforms | erosion | rock debris | transport | ablation | ice movement (3-30 m/yr) | deposition

Option 1

Option 2

Synthesis

Explain the advance of glaciers

Explain the retreat of glaciers

You should be able to do the following:

• explain why a glacier would advance [glacial regime]
• explain why a glacier would retreat [glacial regime]
• define the zone of accumulation
• define the zone of ablation

Explain the main features resulting from the processes of erosion and deposition by glaciers

Erosional landforms - glacial trough, cirque, hanging valley, arête and pyramidal peak

Depositional landforms - erratic, drumlin and various types of moraine

Topographic Map Skills

Pages 30-31

Review

Exam style question:

Explain the processes involved in the advance and retreat of glaciers. [6 marks]

Explain the main features of two named landforms formed by processes of glacial erosion. [3+3 marks]

Explain the main features of two named landforms formed by processes of glacial deposition. [3+3 marks]