In this chapter, you will learn about the different features of erosion and deposition that occur as a result of glaciation. You will also learn about the effect of the last ice age on the Irish landscape.
KEY WORDS
l Pleistocene l Firn l Zone of accumulation l Interglacial period l Compaction l Basal slide l Plastic flow l Plucking l Abrasion l Striations l Cirques
l Glaciated valleys l Glacial spillways l Tarn l Freeze-thaw action l Crevasses l Bergschrund l Rotational slide l Arête l Pyramidal peak l Vertical/lateral erosion l Ribbon lakes
LEARNING OUTCOMES
What you MUST know l How glaciers move l The processes of erosion l A landform of erosion l A landform of deposition l How to recognise features from diagrams, photographs and OS maps
What you SHOULD know l Fluvioglacial landforms l A second feature of erosion l A second feature of deposition l How materials are transported
What is USEFUL to know l Effects of glaciation on the Irish landscape
Introduction
Today, 10 per cent of the Earth’s landscape is covered in glaciers that are mainly concentrated in the North and South Poles. However, throughout the Earth’s history there have been several periods when glaciers covered entire continents. These periods are known as ice ages.
As glaciers move across a landscape, they alter its shape and characteristics through erosion and deposition.
222 EARTH
l Paternoster lake l Truncated spurs l Hanging valleys l Fiords l Fluvioglacial landforms l Rock flour l Drumlins l Eskers l Outwash plain l Erratics
You must study either Chapter 12 or Chapter 11 in detail, but make sure to familiarise yourself with the appearance of the landforms in both chapters.
