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Glacial Landscapes in the UK

Glaciers are masses of ice that fill valleys and hollows. As they slowly make their way downhill, they erode the landscape and drop material behind them. During the last ice age, much of the UK was covered by glaciers, shaping landscapes we see today in upland areas like the Lake District, Scottish Highlands, and Snowdonia.

Glaciers erode the landscape as they move: 1) The weight of ice in glaciers makes them move downhill. 2) Some glaciers have a thin layer of meltwater beneath the ice acting as a lubricant, helping the glacier move by basal sliding. 3) Glaciers erode in two ways: Abrasion — bits of rock stuck in the ice grind against the rock below the glacier, wearing it away. Plucking — meltwater at the base, back or sides of a glacier freezes onto rock. As the glacier moves forward it pulls out pieces of rock. 4) At the top end, ice moves in a circular motion called rotational slip, eroding hollows and deepening them into bowl shapes. 5) Rock above glaciers is broken down by freeze-thaw weathering — water gets into cracks, freezes and expands, then thaws. Repeated cycles weaken and break apart rock.

Key Terms

Abrasion — Bits of rock stuck in ice grind against rock below the glacier, wearing it away
Plucking — Meltwater freezes onto rock at the base/sides of a glacier; as it moves forward it pulls out pieces of rock
Basal sliding — Glacier movement helped by a thin layer of meltwater acting as lubricant beneath the ice
Rotational slip — Circular motion of ice that erodes hollows and deepens them into bowl shapes
Freeze-thaw weathering — Water enters cracks in rock, freezes and expands, then thaws — repeated cycles break apart rock

Glacial Erosion Processes

Cross-section of a glacier showing: freeze-thaw weathering breaking rock off the mountain face at the top; ice moving in circular motion (rotational slip); plucking breaking bits of rock off the back wall making it steeper; abrasion grinding and gouging the valley floor at the base.

Freeze-thaw weatheringRotational slipPluckingAbrasionBack wallValley floor

Case Studies

Exam Tips

  • •Learn specific named examples of each glacial landform — examiners reward place-specific knowledge (e.g. Red Tarn, Striding Edge, Windermere).
  • •Be able to explain formation processes step by step — use key terms like plucking, abrasion, rotational slip, freeze-thaw weathering.
  • •For 9-mark questions about conflicts, discuss multiple viewpoints (tourists, farmers, residents, environmentalists) and reach a balanced conclusion.
  • •Remember the difference between erosional landforms (corries, aretes, pyramidal peaks, glacial troughs) and depositional landforms (moraines, drumlins, erratics).
  • •Know the difference between stoss end (steep, faces direction ice came from) and lee end (gentle, points in direction ice moved) of a drumlin.