Physical influences

• What are the two types of glaciers?

  Valley glaciers and ice sheets
• Name the four types of physical influences.

  Climate, geology, latitude/altitude, relief and aspect
• What is the first stage of diagenesis?

  Accumulation
• What is the second stage of diagenesis?

  Nivation
• What is the third stage of diagenesis?

  Neve
• What is the fourth stage of diagenesis?

  Firn
• What is the fifth stage of diagenesis?

  Sintering
• What is the last stage of diagenesis?

  Glacial ice
• What is nivation?


  Annual and diurnal temperature changes that lead to thaw-freezing alteration and the conversion of snow into ice crystals
• What is sintering?


  The continued fusion and squeezing out of air as a result of more compression from all the added accumulation
• What is the density of snow?

  0.05 g/cm³
• What is the density of glacial ice?

  0.83 g/cm³
• What is the importance of solar insolation?

  It drives the water cycle and wind; affects mass balance
• What is the importance of gravity?

  It provides gravitational potential energy to rocks that shapes the landscape
• What is the importance of geothermal energy?


  It determines rock type and stops bedrock from freezing
• How does relief affect glacial landscape?

  Steeper relief results in more resultant force, causing glaciers to move downhill and erode more
• How does aspect affect glacial landscape?

  If the aspect faces away from the sun and the air temperature is close to 0 degrees, there is less ablation, affecting mass balance and landscape
• How does latitude affect glacial landscape?

  High latitudes have dry, cold, and constant climates with little seasonal variation, leading to little movement and erosion
• How does altitude affect glacial landscape?

  Altitude varies temperatures and creates U-shaped valleys, making them more dynamic due to more ablation and accumulation
• How does climate affect glacial landscape?

  Wind carries out erosion, transportation, and deposition; precipitation affects mass balance, and temperatures above 0 degrees cause snow to melt
• What is lithology?


  The chemical and physical composition of rocks
• What are the structural properties of individual rock types?


  Jointing and permeability
• How does geology affect glacial landscapes?

  Weak lithology means less resistance to erosion, and in porous rocks, pores can absorb water (primary permeability) or allow water to seep into joints (secondary permeability)
• How does the angle of rock dips affect glacial landscapes?

  The angle of rock dips can affect the horizontal bedded strata that supports steep cliffs with vertical profiles