Glacial Geography Terms

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Active Glacial Stages

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Periods during which glaciers are advancing or at their maximum extent.

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Crevasses

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Deep open cracks in a glacier or ice sheet.

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Glacial Weathering

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The process of breaking down rocks and minerals by glaciers.

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Moraine

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Accumulation of glacial debris (till) formed by a glacier.

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Cirque

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A bowl-shaped, steep-walled mountain basin carved by glaciation.

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Arete

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A sharp mountain ridge formed by glacial erosion.

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Till

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Unsorted glacial sediment deposited directly by a glacier.

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Lateral Moraine

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Ridges of debris deposited along the sides of a glacier.

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Medial Moraine

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A ridge of debris formed when two glaciers meet and their lateral moraines combine.

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Terminal or End Moraine

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A ridge of debris deposited at the end of a glacier, marking its maximum advance.