Q.20. Describe the role of Glaciers in shaping the land-forms in high mountain areas.

Glaciers play a crucial role in shaping the landforms in high mountain areas through various processes:

• Erosion: Glaciers erode the landscape as they move, carving out valleys and other landforms. The two main types of glacial erosion are:

• Abrasion: This occurs when rock fragments frozen into the bottom and sides of the glacier scrape against the valley floor, polishing the rock surface and leaving striations.

• Plucking: As glaciers move, they may freeze onto the landscape and rip out rocks from the ground, contributing to the formation of rugged landscapes.

• Transportation: Glaciers transport material as they flow, carrying rocks and debris over long distances. This material can be deposited elsewhere as the glacier melts, creating various landforms.

• Deposition: When glaciers retreat, they leave behind deposits of sediment and rocks called moraines. These deposits can form ridges, hills, and other features that shape the landscape.
• Creation of Landforms: Glaciers are responsible for creating distinctive landforms such as cirques, arêtes, and horn peaks. Cirques are bowl-shaped depressions where glaciers originate, arêtes are sharp ridges that form between cirques, and horn peaks are pyramid-shaped mountains created by the erosion of several cirques around a single point.

The impact of glaciers on high mountain areas is profound, with their presence and movement shaping the physical geography and influencing the ecosystems of these regions.