Glacial and periglacial processes and landforms
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All 12 Flashcards — Glacial and periglacial processes and landforms
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Question
Define permafrost.
Answer
Ground that stays **frozen for two or more years**; the surface **active layer** thaws each summer.
Question
What is freeze-thaw weathering?
Answer
Water freezes in rock cracks, **expands ~9% and shatters** the rock into angular fragments.
Question
Define plucking.
Answer
Meltwater freezes onto rock and the **moving ice pulls it away**, eroding the glacier bed.
Question
Define abrasion.
Answer
Rock frozen into the ice **grinds the bedrock smooth**, like sandpaper.
Question
What is solifluction?
Answer
The waterlogged **active layer creeping slowly downslope** over frozen ground in summer.
Question
What is mass balance?
Answer
The balance of **accumulation (snow gained) vs ablation (ice lost)** — it decides if a glacier advances or retreats.
Question
How does a corrie form?
Answer
Snow collects in a hollow -> freeze-thaw + **plucking** steepen the back wall -> **abrasion** deepens the floor -> a rock lip + **tarn** remain.
Question
Why do most corries face north/east?
Answer
Those slopes are **shaded and coldest**, so snow survives longest and ice can form and erode there.
Question
Name three periglacial landforms.
Answer
Patterned ground (frost heave), **solifluction lobes**, and **pingos** (ground-ice domes).
Question
Why does permafrost make Arctic extraction hard?
Answer
Heat **thaws the frozen ground**, which subsides and weakens, so pipelines fracture and foundations tilt.
Question
Glacial vs periglacial — the difference?
Answer
**Glacial** = moving ice erodes (plucking/abrasion); **periglacial** = freezing/thawing of water in permafrost builds landforms.
Question
What does a top [10] glacial essay need?
Answer
Named landforms developed (corrie, arete, trough), a real example, a weighing of the processes, and a clear judgement.
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Full study notes for Glacial and periglacial processes and landforms
Topic 9.2 hub
Physical processes and landscapes
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