glaciated

Glaciated is an adjective used in geology and geography to describe land that has been shaped by glaciers or is currently covered by glacier ice. The term encompasses both active glaciation and past glaciation (palaeoglaciation). Glaciated landscapes bear evidence of ice movement, including polished and grooved bedrock, striations, and roche moutonnée, as well as depositional features such as moraines, drumlins, eskers, and kettle lakes.

Key landforms formed or modified by glaciation include U-shaped valleys, hanging valleys, cirques, arêtes, and horns. These features contrast with river-formed, V-shaped valleys and other non-glacial landforms. Glaciated regions occur in high-latitude zones such as Antarctica, Greenland, and Arctic Canada, and in high mountain ranges including the Alps, Andes, Himalayas, and Rockies. Some areas remain heavily glacierized today, while others bear only the legacy of former glaciation.

Processes of glaciation involve erosion by moving ice (abrasion and plucking) and deposition of sediments carried by ice or meltwater (till and outwash). The retreat or advance of ice leaves moraines and other records that help reconstruct past climates. Glaciated terrain influences hydrology, soils, and ecosystems and provides important records for paleoclimate study.

Dating and analysis methods used to study glaciated landscapes include radiometric dating, cosmogenic nuclide dating, stratigraphic analysis of moraines and varves, and remote sensing. In geographic classification, the term glaciated distinguishes landscapes shaped by ice from non-glaciated terrain.