Glaciated Landscapes: Processes, Landforms, and Climate Change Impacts

Question 1

Explain how glacial processes shape the hydrology of glaciated landscapes, leading to the formation of meltwater channels, proglacial lakes, and other water bodies.

Accepted Answer

Glaciers carve meltwater channels into the bedrock, allowing meltwater to drain away from the ice margin.

Accepted Answer

Proglacial lakes form in depressions left behind by retreating glaciers, which are filled with meltwater.

Answer

Glaciers have no impact on the formation of rivers and streams in glaciated regions.

Answer

Glaciers do not alter the underlying geological structures that control water flow in glaciated landscapes.

Question 2

How does climate change affect subglacial environments, and what are the implications for ice sheet stability and sea level rise?

Accepted Answer

Climate change increases meltwater, which erodes ice sheets, potentially leading to collapse and sea level rise.

Answer

Climate change strengthens ice sheets, making them less likely to collapse.

Answer

Subglacial environments are unaffected by climate change.

Answer

Climate change has no impact on sea level rise.

Question 3

Evaluate the challenges and opportunities of managing tourism and recreation in protected glacial areas, considering both ecological and socioeconomic factors.

Accepted Answer

Establish regulations and restrictions that balance ecological preservation with recreational activities.

Answer

Permit unrestricted tourism to maximize economic advantages for local communities.

Question 4

How does glacial hydrology influence subglacial environments and impact ice sheet behavior?

Accepted Answer

Glacial hydrology creates meltwater channels, reducing friction and promoting ice sheet movement.

Answer

Subglacial environments are largely unaffected by glacial hydrology.

Answer

Glacial hydrology enhances subglacial erosion but has no impact on ice sheet behavior.

Question 5

How does glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) shape post-glacial landscapes? Consider its implications for the landforms, ecosystems, and human communities in regions once covered by glaciers.

Accepted Answer

GIA causes landmasses to rise after glaciers melt, impacting ecosystems and human societies.

Answer

GIA only affects areas near former glaciers, with no impact on inland regions.

Answer

GIA is a rapid process that completes within a few decades after deglaciation.

Answer

GIA has only negative effects on human societies, such as increasing the risk of coastal flooding and erosion.

Question 6

How does climate change contribute to sea level rise by affecting ice caps and ice sheets?

Accepted Answer

Melting ice caps and ice sheets add water to the ocean, raising sea levels.

Answer

Climate change increases glacial erosion, releasing sediment that displaces water and raises sea levels.

Answer

Climate change causes glaciers to advance, blocking water flow and lowering sea levels.

Question 7

Explain the role of glacial hydrology in shaping subglacial environments and its implications for ice sheet dynamics.

Accepted Answer

Glacial hydrology influences the rate of ice erosion, contributing to the formation of deep glacial troughs and U-shaped valleys.

Accepted Answer

Subglacial water can act as a lubricant, reducing friction between the ice sheet and its bed, facilitating faster ice flow.

Answer

Glacial hydrology has no significant impact on the stability of ice sheets.

Question 8

What type of moraine is formed when a glacier retreats and leaves behind deposits along its sides?

Accepted Answer

Lateral moraine

Answer

Terminal moraine

Answer

Recessional moraine

Answer

Ground moraine

Question 9

How does climate change primarily affect glacial systems?

Accepted Answer

Increased melting and recession

Answer

Expansion and advance

Answer

No significant impact

Answer

Increased snowfall and accumulation

Question 10

Which glacial landform is defined by its steep, semicircular headwall and U-shaped valley?

Accepted Answer

Cirque

Answer

Arête

Answer

Horn

Answer

Nunatak

Question 11

What is the term for the process by which meltwater accumulates beneath a glacier and reduces friction at its base?

Accepted Answer

Basal sliding

Answer

Ice calving

Answer

Firnification

Answer

Crevassing

Question 12

Which of the following processes is NOT involved in glacial erosion?

Accepted Answer

Chemical weathering

Answer

Abrasion

Answer

Plucking

Answer

Hydraulic action

Question 13

What type of glacial landform is a steep-sided, bowl-shaped depression carved by a glacier on a mountainside?

Accepted Answer

Cirque

Answer

Trough

Answer

Moraine

Answer

Esker

Question 14

What is the name for a long, narrow ridge of glacial till deposited by a glacier?

Accepted Answer

Esker

Answer

Drumlin

Answer

Moraine

Answer

Pingo

Question 15

What is the process by which glaciers transport rocks and boulders frozen within their ice?

Accepted Answer

Plucking

Answer

Abrasion

Answer

Calving

Answer

Weathering

Question 16

What is the term for a large, floating platform of ice that extends from a glacier onto the ocean?

Accepted Answer

Ice shelf

Answer

Ice floe

Answer

Iceberg

Answer

Glacier tongue

Question 17

What is the primary difference between a valley glacier and an ice sheet?

Accepted Answer

Size and coverage

Answer

Shape and form

Answer

Speed of movement

Answer

Erosional and depositional processes

Question 18

Which glacial erosion feature results from the plucking of rock fragments along joints and cracks?

Accepted Answer

Roches moutonnées

Answer

Arêtes

Answer

Cirques

Answer

Hanging valleys

Question 19

What type of glacial depositional feature is formed when debris-rich ice melts, leaving behind a pile of unsorted sediment?

Accepted Answer

Moraine

Answer

Esker

Answer

Outwash plain

Answer

Drumlin

Question 20

Which of the following factors does not influence the rate of glacial movement?

Accepted Answer

Temperature

Answer

Ice thickness

Answer

Slope of the underlying bedrock

Answer

Amount of debris in the ice

Question 21

What is the term for a glacial valley with a U-shaped cross-section, modified by the passage of ice?

Accepted Answer

Trough

Answer

Fiord

Answer

Arête

Answer

Cirque

Question 22

What is the name of the moraine that forms at the glacier's edge?

Accepted Answer

Terminal moraine

Answer

Lateral moraine

Answer

Medial moraine

Answer

Ground moraine

Question 23

Which glacial feature results from the accumulation of snow and ice in a mountain hollow?

Accepted Answer

Cirque

Answer

Arête

Answer

Horn

Answer

Roches moutonnées

Question 24

Precise Question: Identify the characteristic feature of a glacial trough?

Accepted Answer

Wide, U-shaped valley with gentle slopes

Answer

Narrow, V-shaped valley with steep sides

Answer

Asymmetrical valley with one steep and one gentle side

Answer

Valley with a flat bottom and steep sides

Question 25

Specific Question: What term describes the ridge of rock fragments accumulated at the end of a glacier?

Accepted Answer

Moraine

Answer

Erratic

Answer

Roche moutonnée

Answer

Drumlin

Question 26

Clear Question: Which factor does not influence the rate of glacial erosion?

Accepted Answer

Wind speed

Answer

Ice thickness

Answer

Temperature

Answer

Steepness of the slope

Question 27

Updated Question: What primary impact does global warming have on glaciers?

Accepted Answer

Increased melting and retreat

Answer

Increased ice accumulation

Answer

No significant impact

Answer

Enhanced glacier formation

Question 28

Specific Question: Which type of moraine forms when debris is deposited along the sides of a valley glacier?

Accepted Answer

Lateral moraine

Answer

Medial moraine

Answer

Terminal moraine

Answer

Grund moraine

Question 29

Updated Question: By which process do glaciers effectively transport and deposit debris over significant distances?

Accepted Answer

Entrainment

Answer

Plucking

Answer

Abrasion

Answer

Attrition

Question 30

Specific Question: What term describes a glacier that flows into an ocean or large lake?

Accepted Answer

Tidewater glacier

Answer

Valley glacier

Answer

Piedmont glacier

Answer

Hanging glacier

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT a type of glacial erosion process?

Accepted Answer

Corrosion

Answer

Plucking

Answer

Abrasion

Answer

Attrition

Question 32

What is the term for a valley carved by a glacier with a deep, U-shaped cross-section?

Accepted Answer

Trough

Answer

Arête

Answer

Cirque

Answer

Tarn

Question 33

Which process involves the transportation of sediment within glaciers?

Accepted Answer

Englacial transport

Answer

Plucking

Answer

Abrasion

Answer

Superglacial transport

Question 34

Which of the following is NOT a potential consequence of glacier retreat?

Accepted Answer

Enhanced biodiversity

Answer

Sea level rise

Answer

Loss of drinking water sources

Answer

Increased flood risk

Question 35

What is the term for a body of water that forms when a glacier melts and leaves a depression?

Accepted Answer

Kettle hole

Answer

Cirque

Answer

Moraine

Answer

Tarn

Question 36

Which of the following processes is NOT involved in glacial erosion?

Accepted Answer

Carbonation

Answer

Plucking

Answer

Abrasion

Answer

Freeze-thaw weathering

Question 37

A U-shaped valley is primarily created by:

Accepted Answer

The erosion of a valley by a glacier

Answer

The accumulation of glacial till

Answer

The formation of a cirque

Answer

The accumulation of snow in a corrie

Question 38

Which of the following is a characteristic of a terminal moraine?

Accepted Answer

It is a ridge of unsorted rock fragments deposited at the edge of a glacier

Answer

It is a depression formed by the melting of an ice cap

Answer

It is a steep-sided valley with a flat floor

Answer

It is a lake formed by the damming of a river by a glacier

Question 39

How does climate change primarily impact glacial systems?

Accepted Answer

It leads to increased melting and reduced snowfall

Answer

It causes glaciers to advance

Answer

It has no significant impact on glaciers

Answer

It causes glaciers to become thicker and faster-moving

Question 40

What technique is commonly used to measure the depth of glacial ice?

Accepted Answer

Radar sounding

Answer

Ice core analysis

Answer

Aerial photography

Answer

GPS surveying

Question 41

Which of the following is a type of glacial moraine that forms along the sides of a glacier?

Accepted Answer

Lateral moraine

Answer

Terminal moraine

Answer

Medial moraine

Answer

Recessional moraine

Question 42

What is the primary mechanism by which glaciers move downhill?

Accepted Answer

Basal sliding

Answer

Calving

Answer

Crevassing

Answer

Seraching

Question 43

Which of the following areas is likely to have the most extensive glacial deposits?

Accepted Answer

Mountainous region

Answer

Tropical rainforest

Answer

Polar desert

Answer

Suburban area

Question 44

What is a glacial budget, and why is it important for understanding a glacier's health and behavior?

Accepted Answer

A measure of the total ice lost or gained by a glacier over time.

Answer

The total volume of ice within a glacier.

Answer

The ratio of snowfall to ice loss.

Question 45

How does climate change impact subglacial environments, and what are the implications for ice sheet stability and sea level rise?

Accepted Answer

Increased surface meltwater infiltrates subglacial environments, raising water pressure and weakening ice sheets, potentially leading to collapse and sea level rise.

Answer

Climate change slows glacial movement, causing ice sheets to thicken and reducing sea level.

Answer

Subglacial environments are unaffected by climate change.

Answer

Climate change has minimal effects on subglacial environments and ice sheet stability.

Question 46

How does climate change primarily impact the Patagonian Ice Cap?

Accepted Answer

Retreating rapidly, contributing to rising sea levels

Answer

Expanding rapidly due to increased precipitation

Answer

Remaining stable and unaffected by climate change

Question 47

How does ice discharge contribute to the stability of ice sheets?

Accepted Answer

By reducing the mass and pressure on the ice sheet, ice discharge helps maintain stability.

Answer

Ice discharge adds mass to the ice sheet through iceberg accumulation, increasing stability.

Answer

Ice discharge has no significant impact on ice sheet stability and is primarily influenced by surface mass balance.

Answer

Ice discharge destabilizes ice sheets by increasing surface melting and causing ice loss.

Question 48

Explain how the glacial erosion processes of plucking and abrasion work together to create the distinctive U-shape of glacial valleys.

Accepted Answer

Abrasion smooths valley sides, while plucking widens and deepens the valley floor.

Answer

Plucking alone creates both U-shaped valley sides and floors.

Answer

Abrasion alone creates both U-shaped valley sides and floors.

Answer

Neither abrasion nor plucking contributes to the formation of U-shaped valleys.

Question 49

Which approach to managing glacial-fed river systems best balances the needs of the environment and human communities?

Accepted Answer

Working with stakeholders to manage the system adaptively

Answer

Building dams for electricity generation

Answer

Diverting water for farming

Answer

Letting the river flow naturally without human intervention

Question 50

In glaciated landscapes, what is the term for the elevation above which snow accumulates and remains throughout the year?

Accepted Answer

Snowline

Answer

Ice line

Answer

Firn line

Question 51

Which of the following is NOT a process of glacial erosion?

Accepted Answer

Corrosion

Answer

Abrasion

Answer

Attrition

Answer

Plucking

Question 52

What distinctive landform is created when a glacier carves out a deep, U-shaped valley?

Accepted Answer

Trough

Answer

Moraine

Answer

Erratic

Answer

Esker

Question 53

Which of the following is a type of glacial deposition?

Accepted Answer

Moraine

Answer

Striae

Answer

Cirque

Answer

Roche moutonnée

Question 54

What is the term for the landform created when a glacier deposits material at its terminus?

Accepted Answer

Terminal moraine

Answer

Lateral moraine

Answer

Medial moraine

Answer

Ground moraine

Question 55

Which of the following is a negative impact of climate change on glacial systems?

Accepted Answer

Accelerated glacier melt

Answer

Formation of new glaciers

Answer

Increased snowfall

Answer

Stabilization of glacial extent

Question 56

What is the term for the movement of sediment by glaciers?

Accepted Answer

Transportation

Answer

Erosion

Answer

Deposition

Answer

Exaration

Question 57

Identify the glacial landform characterized by a U-shaped valley with steep sides and a flat bottom.

Accepted Answer

Trough

Answer

Horn

Answer

Cirque

Answer

Arête

Question 58

Which of the following is a significant consequence of climate change on glacial systems?

Accepted Answer

Accelerated glacial melting and subsequent retreat

Answer

Stabilization of glacier size

Answer

Minimal change in ice thickness

Answer

Emergence of new glaciers

Question 59

What is the name given to a steep-sided, bowl-shaped depression formed by glacial erosion?

Accepted Answer

Cirque

Answer

Moraine

Answer

Esker

Question 60

What is the term for the elongated, streamlined ridges of glacial till deposited by advancing ice sheets?

Accepted Answer

Drumlins

Answer

Erratics

Answer

Eskers

Answer

Moraines

Question 61

Which of the following is a key characteristic of a glacial horn?

Accepted Answer

A sharply pointed, pyramidal peak

Answer

A large, flat-topped plateau

Answer

A U-shaped valley

Answer

A long, sinuous ridge

Question 62

What is the primary agent responsible for transporting and depositing glacial till?

Accepted Answer

Glacial ice

Answer

Water

Answer

Gravity

Answer

Wind

Question 63

Which of the following is a potential environmental impact associated with glacial retreat?

Accepted Answer

Reduced biodiversity in ecosystems

Answer

Soil stabilization

Answer

Enhanced water quality

Answer

Increased tourism revenue

Question 64

What is the term for a long, sinuous ridge of glacial till deposited by a subglacial stream?

Accepted Answer

Esker

Answer

Moraine

Answer

Erratic

Answer

Drumlin