Glacier-Eroded Valley:
* U-shaped: Glaciers carve out wide, flat-bottomed valleys with steep, almost vertical sides. This is due to the enormous weight of the ice pressing down and scouring the landscape.
* Hanging Valleys: Tributary glaciers often erode valleys at higher elevations than the main glacier. When the ice melts, these tributary valleys are left hanging high above the main valley floor, creating waterfalls.
* Cirques: These are bowl-shaped depressions at the head of a glacier, often carved out by rotational movement of the ice.
* Aretes: Sharp, jagged ridges are formed when two cirques erode towards each other.
* Truncated Spurs: Glaciers cut off the ends of ridges that jut out into the valley, creating a distinctive "truncated" look.
* Fjords: When glaciers carve valleys that extend below sea level, the ocean floods in after the ice retreats, forming long, narrow inlets with steep sides.
Stream-Eroded Valley:
* V-shaped: Streams carve out narrow, V-shaped valleys with gently sloping sides. This is because the erosive force of a stream is concentrated at the bottom of the valley.
* Meanders: Streams often meander across the landscape, creating winding paths and curves in the valley.
* Floodplains: As streams flood, they deposit sediment, creating flat areas called floodplains along the valley floor.
* Terraces: When a stream erodes downwards, it can leave behind elevated areas called terraces that were once part of the floodplain.
* Waterfalls: Waterfalls are often formed where a stream flows over a resistant rock layer.
In Summary:
Glacier-eroded valleys are typically wider, deeper, and more U-shaped, while stream-eroded valleys are narrower, V-shaped, and often meandering. Both types of valleys provide clues about the geological history of a region.
