How do arêtes and horns form in alpine mountains?
Quick Answer
Glaciers erode on both sides of a ridge, sharpening it into a narrow arête. When several cirques cut into a mountain from different sides, a pointed horn can form.
The Full Story
Arêtes and horns are sharp mountain landforms created by glacial erosion. An arête is a knife-edge ridge left between two adjacent glaciers or cirques that have eaten away the rock on either side. If three or more cirques erode into a mountain from different directions, they can leave behind a pyramidal peak called a horn. The Matterhorn in the Alps is the most famous horn-shaped peak. These features are among the clearest examples of ice sculpting mountain landscapes.
Key Facts
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"How does a glacier turn a mountain into a knife edge?"
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