📖 what
What is a cirque in geology?
GeologyGlaciology
Quick Answer
A cirque is a bowl-shaped hollow carved by a glacier at the head of a valley. It is often steep-walled and may contain a small lake after the ice melts.
The Full Story
Cirques form where a glacier erodes bedrock through plucking and abrasion. Over time, the hollow becomes a steep amphitheater-like basin. When the glacier disappears, a tarn, or small mountain lake, may remain in the basin. Cirques are among the clearest signs of former alpine glaciation.
Key Facts
1.bowl-shaped glacial hollow
2.often found at valley heads
3.may contain a tarn
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"The glacier-carved bowl high in the mountains"