Glacier

Deserts, Glaciers and Climate

Alan Jankewicz

GLG/101 Geology

03/23/2013

Casey Wells

Deserts, Glaciers, and Climate

Both the glacial landscape and the desert landscape have distinct process involved in the formation of the different geological features. The glacial landscape is generally formed either from glacial erosions or deposition. The areas under or above the glacial ice form the erosional features while the ice melts, outwash deposits, melt water deposits or tills forms the depositional features. In contrast, desert landscapes are developed through the processes which include tectonic forces, volcanic eruption, weathering, and erosions. Long periods of climatic cycles either wet and dry periods have significantly contributed to the development of different desert landform features including various sedimentary deposits.

Glaciers, which is like a flowing "river of ice" carries or move things it come in contact with. Its scouring slow movement can affect the terrains and can cause steep sided valley walls, and make the bottom area very flat. Whatever is carried by the glaciers, it leaves some deposition along the way it passes or within the areas where glaciers go. This mechanism develops various glacial landscapes which include Glacial Erratic, Horns, Cirque, Moraines, and Hanging Valleys. By contrast, landscape features which include stream channels, alluvial fans, playas or dry lakebeds, dunes, and mountain landscapes are formed under current and past climatic conditions, changing their plant communities, volcanic eruptions, weathering, and intrusions.

A simple example of a glacial landscape is the Moraine often seen down the mountain slopes or along the valleys which is formed from glacial depositions. Moraines are formed from the deposited materials or debris from a glacier. They are often identified as long with sharp crested ridges made up of a mixture of sand, gravel, and rocks that have been deposited by a melting glacier.

An example of...