Glaciated landscapes: valley erosion

Glaciers can change the landscape and create glacial features, like U-shaped valleys and ribbon lakes.

In this article you can learn:

• What a glacier is
• How U-shaped valleys and hanging valleys are formed
• How a ribbon lake and misfit stream are formed
• Reindeer in Scotland

This resource is suitable for Landscapes topics for primary school learners.

Join Isla and Connor as they explore features of glaciated erosion, such as U-shaped valleys and hanging valleys, in the Cairngorms National Park.

• A glacier is a huge mass of ice that moves slowly across land.
• A moving glacier can erode the land and create features of glaciated erosion such as corries, arêtes and pyramidal peaks.

• Glaciers erode distinctive U-shaped valleys with a flat floor and steep sides.
• The processes of plucking and abrasion widen, steepen, deepen and smooth 'V'-shaped river valleys into a 'U' shape.

• A ribbon lake is a large, narrow lake that can be found in a U-shaped valley. It forms in a hollow where the rock is softer and a glacier has eroded the valley floor more deeply.
• Misfit streams or rivers meander through the flat, wide valley floor. They are much smaller than the valley itself, and formed after glaciation had carved out the much larger U-shaped valley.

Hanging valleys

Hanging valleys are created where smaller valleys meet the main glaciated valley. The glaciers in the smaller valleys were not so powerful, so they didn't erode such deep valleys. This means the smaller valleys are left hanging above the floor of the main valley.

In the video at the top of the page, Isla and Connor spotted reindeer on Cairn Gorm. Let's find out more about reindeer in Scotland.

• Reindeer are a type of deer.
• Reindeer are adapted to live in extremely cold, snowy conditions, like the Arctic. Their very thick fur acts as insulation that keeps them warm. They have wide hooves, which spread their weight and stop them sinking into deep snow.
• Reindeer were once a native species to Scotland but went extinct in Scotland hundreds of years ago. They were reintroduced to the Cairngorms in the 1950s.
• The Cairngorm mountains have a cold climate. They are the only place in the UK where you can find free-roaming reindeer.
• There are currently around 150 reindeer in the herd on the Cairngorm mountains.

• national park - An area set aside by government to preserve the natural environment. A national park is also set aside because of historical or scientific interest as well as enjoyment by the public.
• glacier - A massive river of slow moving ice.
• glacial features - Landscape features that have formed by glaciers.
• geologic time - Extremely long period of time. Geologic time refers to the billions of years since Earth started developing.
• Ice Age - A long period of time when the Earth's temperature became very low. The Earth's surface was buried under sheets of ice. It was at its peak about 22,000 years ago.
• erosion - Wearing away.
• u-shaped valley - A valley with steep sides and wide flat floor. It takes on the shape of the letter 'u'. They are formed in river valleys which, during the ice age, have been filled by a large glacier .
• hanging valley - A small valley that meets a larger glaciated valley. The smaller valleys are not powerful enough to erode deep valleys so they are left hanging above the main valley.
• ribbon lake - A large narrow lake found in a u-shaped valley. It forms in a hollow that a glacier has eroded more deeply.
• misfit stream - A steam or river that meanders through the flat wide floor of a u-shaped valley.

Write a poem about nature.

The Cairngorms National Park is one of the biggest national parks in the UK and the beautiful landscape there has often been a source of inspiration to artists.

Scottish poet, Nan Shepherd, was so inspired by the Cairngorms she wrote a whole collection of poetry about the area.

'Loch A’an, Loch A’an, hoo deep ye lie!Tell nane yer depth and nane shall I.'

Loch A'an written by Nan Shepherd from In the Cairngorms (Edinburgh: The Moray Press, 1934)

Research and read some of Nan Shepherd's nature poetry for some inspiration. Try writing your own nature poem about the landscape near you.

If you need help writing your poem, here is a guide to get you started: How to write a poem