CHAPTER 9: GLACIAL PROCESSES, PATTERNS AND LANDFORMS
Fig. 9 Corrie glaciers, Chugach Mountains, Alaska 9.5 Glacial processes A process is anything that happens to change the earth’s surface.
Fig. 10 A valley glacier, Mer de Glace, France
Despite moving so slowly glaciers can shape the land using the processes of: 1. Erosion 2. Transportation 3. Deposition
In some areas one or more of these processes will be dominant, for example in mountain regions erosion is more common. On lowlands, deposition is more common as melting is more likely to take place here because it is warmer. Transportation can happen in both the uplands and lowlands. These different processes produce some of the most spectacular scenery in Ireland
and the world. Erosional processes sculpt impressive rugged landscapes, while depositedmaterial called drift forms the basis of a thriving agricultural industry and quarrying.