jäämuotojen

Jäämuotojen refers to landforms created by the action of glaciers. These formations are a significant aspect of glaciology and geomorphology. As glaciers move, they erode the underlying bedrock and transport vast amounts of sediment. When glaciers retreat, they leave behind distinctive features that tell the story of their past presence and activity.

Common glacial landforms include U-shaped valleys, which are carved out by the immense erosive power of ice flows. Fjords are a type of U-shaped valley that has been flooded by the sea. Cirques are bowl-shaped depressions at the head of a glacial valley, often where snow accumulated to form the glacier. Arêtes are sharp, narrow ridges that form between two cirques or parallel glaciers. Horns are pointed mountain peaks formed by the erosion of multiple glaciers on different sides of a mountain.

Depositional landforms, also created by glaciers, include moraines, which are ridges or mounds of till (unsorted glacial debris). End moraines mark the furthest extent of a glacier's advance. Lateral moraines form along the sides of a glacier. Drumlins are elongated, streamlined hills made of glacial till, often found in groups. Eskers are long, winding ridges of sand and gravel deposited by meltwater streams flowing within or beneath a glacier. Kettle lakes are depressions formed by the melting of buried blocks of ice. These various jäämuotojen provide crucial evidence for understanding past climates and glacial dynamics.