Science Common Sense

258 - How do glaciers shape the land?

Glaciers can shape the land in several ways.

1. Scraping and Carving: Glaciers are like giant ice bulldozers. As they move, they scrape the land and carve out valleys. They pick up rocks and soil, and these rocks scratch the land like a giant file.

2. Making Lakes and U-Shaped Valleys: When a glacier melts, it can create a lake in the valley it carved out. These valleys often have steep sides, and are U-shaped, which is different from valleys carved out by rivers.

3. Creating Glacial Moraines: As glaciers move, they pick up rocks and soil and carry them to new locations. When the glacier melts, it leaves behind piles of rocks and soil, which are called moraines. These moraines can be found at the edge of where the glacier stopped.

Glaciers have played a huge role in shaping the Earth's landscape over millions of years.