AQA A-level Geography · 3.1.4

Glacial, fluvioglacial and periglacial landforms

Exam-style questions with answers for 3.1.4 Glacial, fluvioglacial and periglacial landforms in AQA A-level Geography (spec 7037). Practise with flashcards, a topic quiz, a random quiz across the course, 5 crosswords, or read every question and answer below.

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Question 1 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Erosional landforms
Explain how a corrie forms. [4 marks]
Answer:
Snow collects in a hollow on a shaded slope and turns to ice (1); nivation enlarges the hollow (1); rotational flow and abrasion deepen the floor, and plucking steepens the backwall (1); when the ice melts a rock lip is left, and a tarn may form behind it (1).
Question 2 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Erosional landforms
Describe the main features of a corrie. [3 marks]
Answer:
Any three from: steep backwall (1); over-deepened, armchair-shaped hollow (1); rock lip or threshold (1); tarn if the hollow has filled with water (1); moraine at the lip (1).
Question 3 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Erosional landforms
Explain how an arête forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
Two corries form back to back or side by side (1); plucking and abrasion steepen their walls and freeze-thaw weathers the rock between them (1); a narrow, sharp-edged ridge is left (1).
Question 4 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Erosional landforms
Name one UK example of an arête. [1 mark]
Answer:
Striding Edge on Helvellyn, or Crib Goch on Snowdon.
Question 5 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Erosional landforms
Explain how a pyramidal peak forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
Three or more corries erode back to back around a mountain summit (1); plucking, abrasion and freeze-thaw steepen the slopes between them (1); leaving a pointed peak with arêtes radiating from it, such as the Matterhorn (1).
Question 6 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Erosional landforms
Explain how a glacial trough forms. [4 marks]
Answer:
A glacier follows an existing river valley (1); the thick ice erodes powerfully by abrasion and plucking (1); the valley is deepened and widened (1); leaving a U-shaped valley with steep sides and a flat floor (1).
Question 7 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Erosional landforms
Describe the main features of a glacial trough. [3 marks]
Answer:
Any three from: U-shaped cross profile (1); steep, straight valley sides (1); wide, flat floor (1); truncated spurs (1); hanging valleys (1); ribbon lakes (1); a misfit stream (1).
Question 8 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Erosional landforms
Explain how a truncated spur forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
Interlocking spurs once projected into the pre-glacial river valley (1); the glacier cannot bend round them and erodes their ends (1); leaving steep cliff-like faces cut off by the ice (1).
Question 9 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Erosional landforms
Explain how a hanging valley forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
A smaller tributary glacier erodes less deeply than the main glacier (1); the main valley is deepened much more (1); after the ice melts, the tributary valley is left hanging high above the main floor, often with a waterfall (1).
Question 10 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Erosional landforms
Explain how a ribbon lake forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
The glacier erodes more deeply where the rock is softer or the ice is thicker (1); this over-deepens the valley floor into a rock basin (1); after the ice melts, the basin fills with water to form a long, narrow lake (1).
Question 11 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Erosional landforms
Explain the term misfit stream. [2 marks]
Answer:
A stream that is far too small to have eroded the valley it occupies (1); the valley was cut by a much larger glacier (1).
Question 12 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Erosional landforms
Describe the characteristics of a roche moutonnée. [3 marks]
Answer:
An asymmetrical outcrop of resistant bedrock (1); a smooth, gently sloping side facing up-ice, shaped by abrasion (1); a steep, jagged side facing down-ice, shaped by plucking (1).
Question 13 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Erosional landforms
Explain how a roche moutonnée forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
Ice moves over a mass of resistant bedrock (1); abrasion smooths the upstream side (1); meltwater refreezes in joints on the downstream side and plucking removes blocks, leaving a steep rough face (1).
Question 14 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Erosional landforms
Explain how striations form. [2 marks]
Answer:
Rock fragments frozen into the base of the glacier are dragged across the bedrock (1); they scratch grooves in the rock surface by abrasion, which show the direction of ice movement (1).
Question 15 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Erosional landforms
Explain how a fjord forms. [4 marks]
Answer:
A glacial trough is cut by powerful glacial erosion, often well below sea level (1); a rock bar or threshold is left at the mouth where the ice thinned (1); the ice melts and sea level rises (1); the sea floods the trough, creating a deep, steep-sided inlet (1).
Question 16 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Erosional landforms
Name two glaciated landscapes from beyond the UK. [2 marks]
Answer:
Any two from: Yosemite Valley, USA (1); Norwegian fjords (1); the Swiss Alps (1); Patagonia (1); the Southern Alps, New Zealand (1).
Question 17 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Depositional landforms
Describe the characteristics of till. [3 marks]
Answer:
Unsorted, with clay, sand, gravel and boulders mixed together (1); angular or sub-angular fragments (1); unlayered, with no stratification (1).
Question 18 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Depositional landforms
Distinguish between lodgement till and ablation till. [2 marks]
Answer:
Lodgement till is deposited at the base of the glacier under pressure as the ice moves (1); ablation till is deposited as ice melts at the surface or margin of the glacier (1).
Question 19 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Depositional landforms
Explain how an erratic forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
Rock is plucked or weathered from its source area (1); the glacier transports it, sometimes for hundreds of kilometres (1); it is deposited when the ice melts, and the rock type differs from the local geology (1).
Question 20 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Depositional landforms
Describe the characteristics of a drumlin. [3 marks]
Answer:
Any three from: smooth, elongated mound shaped like an upturned boat (1); typically several hundred metres long and up to about 50 m high (1); steep, blunt end facing up-ice (1); gentle, tapering end pointing down-ice (1); occurs in groups known as swarms (1).
Question 21 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Depositional landforms
Explain how a drumlin forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
Moving ice slows and deposits till where friction is high or an obstacle is met (1); ice flowing over the deposit moulds it into a streamlined shape (1); the blunt end faces up-ice and a tapering tail points down-ice (1).
Question 22 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Depositional landforms
Name one UK area where drumlins are found. [1 mark]
Answer:
Strangford Lough in County Down, or the Eden Valley in Cumbria.
Question 23 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Depositional landforms
Distinguish between lateral, medial and terminal moraine. [3 marks]
Answer:
Lateral moraine forms along the sides of the glacier (1); medial moraine forms down the centre where two glaciers merge (1); terminal moraine forms as a ridge across the valley at the furthest point of ice advance (1).
Question 24 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Depositional landforms
Explain how a terminal moraine forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
The glacier carries and pushes debris to its snout (1); at its maximum advance melting equals movement, so debris is dumped (1); a curved ridge of till is left across the valley (1).
Question 25 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Depositional landforms
Distinguish between recessional moraine and ground moraine. [2 marks]
Answer:
Recessional moraine is a ridge left where the retreating glacier paused (1); ground moraine is a sheet of till spread under the ice and left as it melted (1).
Question 26 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Depositional landforms
Explain how a till plain forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
A large ice sheet melts over a wide area (1); ground moraine and unsorted till are deposited beneath it (1); a flat or gently undulating lowland is left (1).
Question 27 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Fluvioglacial landforms
Explain how meltwater channels form. [3 marks]
Answer:
Meltwater flows along the edge of the glacier or beneath it under pressure (1); the fast-flowing water erodes steep-sided channels in the rock (1); after the ice melts the channels may be left dry (1).
Question 28 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Fluvioglacial landforms
Describe the characteristics of an esker. [3 marks]
Answer:
A long, narrow, winding ridge (1); made of sorted sand and gravel (1); its length lies in the direction of ice flow, and it can be many kilometres long (1).
Question 29 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Fluvioglacial landforms
Explain how an esker forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
Meltwater flows in tunnels within or beneath the glacier (1); the stream deposits sorted sand and gravel along its bed (1); when the ice melts, the deposits are left as a ridge (1).
Question 30 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Fluvioglacial landforms
Explain how a kame forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
Meltwater deposits sand and gravel in hollows or against the edge of the ice (1); the material is lowered onto the ground as the ice melts (1); an irregular mound of sorted deposits is left (1).
Question 31 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Fluvioglacial landforms
Explain how a kettle hole forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
A block of ice is left behind by the retreating glacier (1); outwash is deposited around it (1); the ice melts, leaving a hollow that may fill with water as a kettle lake (1).
Question 32 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Fluvioglacial landforms
Explain how an outwash plain forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
Meltwater streams leave the glacier snout carrying large amounts of sediment (1); they deposit it as they lose energy, with coarse material nearest the ice (1); the result is a wide, flat plain crossed by braided streams, also called a sandur (1).
Question 33 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Fluvioglacial landforms
Explain why fluvioglacial deposits are sorted and rounded. [2 marks]
Answer:
Flowing water sorts the sediment by size, depositing coarse material first (1); particles collide, which rounds them (1).
Question 34 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Fluvioglacial landforms
Distinguish between glacial and fluvioglacial deposits. [2 marks]
Answer:
Glacial deposits (till) are unsorted, angular and unlayered (1); fluvioglacial deposits are sorted, layered and more rounded (1).
Question 35 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Fluvioglacial landforms
Explain how a proglacial lake forms. [2 marks]
Answer:
Meltwater collects in front of the snout, dammed by moraine or the ice itself (1); fine sediment settles in the lake, producing layered deposits (1).
Question 36 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Periglacial landforms
Explain how patterned ground forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
Repeated freezing and thawing of the ground causes frost heave (1); stones are pushed to the surface and roll to the edges of the mounds, sorting stones from fine soil (1); polygons form on flat ground and stripes on slopes (1).
Question 37 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Periglacial landforms
Explain how an ice wedge forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
In winter the ground contracts in extreme cold and cracks (1); in summer meltwater fills the crack and refreezes (1); the wedge of ice widens a little each year as the process repeats (1).
Question 38 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Periglacial landforms
Describe the characteristics of a pingo. [3 marks]
Answer:
A dome-shaped mound (1); contains a core of ice (1); can be tens of metres high, and may collapse leaving a crater lake when the ice core melts (1).
Question 39 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Periglacial landforms
Explain how an open-system pingo forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
Groundwater flows under pressure beneath or through permafrost (1); it freezes to form a lens of ice (1); the lens pushes the ground above it into a dome (1).
Question 40 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Periglacial landforms
Explain how a closed-system pingo forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
A lake in an area of permafrost shrinks or drains, leaving wet sediment (1); permafrost advances inwards from the edges, freezing the water and squeezing it into an ice core (1); the expanding ice pushes the ground up into a dome (1).
Question 41 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Periglacial landforms
Explain how a blockfield forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
Water enters cracks in bedrock (1); repeated freeze-thaw breaks the rock into angular blocks (1); the blocks accumulate in place on flat or gently sloping ground (1).
Question 42 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Periglacial landforms
Explain how solifluction lobes form. [3 marks]
Answer:
The active layer thaws in summer and becomes saturated (1); the waterlogged soil flows downslope over the frozen ground below (1); it piles up at the front where the slope eases or vegetation holds it, forming a tongue-shaped lobe (1).
Question 43 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Periglacial landforms
Explain how terracettes form. [2 marks]
Answer:
Slow downslope movement of soil by solifluction and creep (1); soil held by vegetation forms small step-like ridges across the slope (1).
Question 44 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Periglacial landforms
Explain how thermokarst develops. [3 marks]
Answer:
Permafrost thaws, because of warming or human disturbance (1); the ground subsides as the ice melts and the soil loses support (1); irregular hollows, ponds and collapsed ground develop (1).
Question 45 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Periglacial landforms
Explain why periglacial landforms are found in parts of southern England today. [2 marks]
Answer:
They are relict landforms formed in the Pleistocene when the climate was much colder (1); periglacial conditions extended south of the ice sheets (1).
Question 46 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Landscapes
Describe the main features of a typical glaciated upland landscape. [3 marks]
Answer:
Corries, arêtes and pyramidal peaks on the high ground (1); U-shaped troughs with truncated spurs, hanging valleys and ribbon lakes (1); moraines and erratics left in the valley and lowland (1).
Question 47 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Landscapes
Describe the main features of a typical lowland landscape formed by glacial deposition. [3 marks]
Answer:
Any three from: till plains (1); drumlin swarms (1); moraine ridges (1); erratics (1); eskers and kames (1); outwash plains and kettle holes (1).
Question 48 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Landscapes
Explain the relationship between process, time and landforms in glaciated landscapes. [3 marks]
Answer:
Landforms develop when processes operate for long periods under particular conditions (1); repeated glacial advances and retreats modify earlier landforms (1); since the ice melted, weathering, rivers and mass movement have reworked the glacial landscape (1).
Question 49 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Landscapes
Explain why glaciated upland landscapes are often popular with tourists. [2 marks]
Answer:
They offer dramatic scenery such as lakes, peaks and waterfalls (1); they provide opportunities for activities like hill walking, climbing and skiing (1).
Question 50 · Spec 3.1.4.4 · Erosional landforms
Explain the term tarn and how it is formed. [2 marks]
Answer:
A small, round lake in a corrie (1); it forms when meltwater and rainfall fill the over-deepened hollow behind the rock lip after the ice melts (1).

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