1. U-Shaped Valleys:
* Shape: Instead of the V-shape carved by rivers, glacial valleys have a distinctive U-shape, with steep, nearly vertical sides and a wide, flat floor.
* Truncated Spurs: The sides of the valley often have sharp, triangular "truncated spurs" where the glacier eroded away the original slopes.
2. Hanging Valleys:
* Location: These are smaller valleys that end abruptly high above the main valley floor, often forming waterfalls.
* Formation: Formed where tributary glaciers flowed into larger glaciers. The main glacier eroded deeper, leaving the tributary valley hanging above.
3. Cirques:
* Shape: Bowl-shaped depressions often found at the head of a glacial valley.
* Formation: Cirques form where glaciers originate, due to erosion and plucking of rock.
* Tarn Lakes: Cirques often hold small lakes called tarns.
4. Moraines:
* Lateral Moraines: Ridges of rock and sediment deposited along the sides of the glacier.
* Medial Moraines: Darker lines of debris formed where two glaciers merged, creating a single flow.
* Terminal Moraines: A large ridge of debris marking the furthest point of the glacier's advance.
5. Glacial Erratics:
* Large boulders: Large, often out-of-place rocks deposited by glaciers far from their source.
* Different Rock Type: Erratics often consist of rock types not found in the immediate area, indicating their transport by glaciers.
6. Striations and Grooves:
* Scratches and Grooves: Found on bedrock surfaces, these lines were carved by the movement of glacial ice and rock debris embedded in the ice.
* Direction of Flow: The direction of the striations indicates the direction the glacier moved.
7. Glacial Polish:
* Smooth, Polished Surfaces: Bedrock surfaces often have a polished appearance, caused by the abrasive action of glacial ice and rock.
8. Kettles:
* Depressions in the Landscape: Kettle holes are depressions formed when large blocks of ice, buried in glacial deposits, melt.
* Filled with Water: Often filled with water, forming kettle lakes.
9. Eskers:
* Long, Winding Ridges: Eskers are long, sinuous ridges of sand and gravel deposited by meltwater rivers flowing within or beneath a glacier.
10. Drumlins:
* Elongated Hills: Drumlins are smooth, elongated hills formed by glacial erosion and deposition.
* Shape: They are often egg-shaped, with a steeper, "stoss" side facing the direction of ice flow, and a more gently sloping "lee" side.
Remember: While these features are strong indicators of past glaciers, it is always good to consider other evidence and context to confirm the presence of glacial activity.
