MasteryExams
Geography • Physical GeographyMedium

Which of the following describes a 'Cirque' in glacial geomorphology?

A. A flat-topped hill remaining after extensive glacial erosion of valley walls
B. An amphitheatre-shaped steep-walled basin carved by the head of a glacier✓ Correct Answer
C. A ridge of unsorted glacial debris deposited at the terminal point of an ice sheet
D. A smooth, oval-shaped hill composed of glacial till aligned parallel to ice flow

💡 Solution & Explanation

A cirque is an amphitheatre-shaped steep-walled basin carved out at the head of a mountain glacier through the combined processes of frost wedging, headwall sapping, and glacial plucking. Features like drumlins represent smooth oval-shaped hills of glacial till aligned with ice movement, whereas terminal moraines comprise ridges of unsorted debris deposited at a glacier's furthest advance.

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