What is a cirque and how are they produced?

Question

Violet Adams · Accepted Answer

Glacial erosion

In short, large masses of ice (glaciers) at high altitude tend to migrate down mountains. As a glacier makes its way down the mountain it can sometimes get stuck or just sit in place for a while.

Whilst it sits the glacier can still be moving but think of it like a stationary conveyor belt, material is being moved under the glacier and then out the other side. Then because of the glaciers weight the material below it begins to be removed. As the material is removed a big pit begins to form and voilà, a cirque!

As an aside, the cirque can then fill with water and thanks to our changing climate, a once cold region may now be warm and the cirque can serve as a fantastic swimming hole!

Image credit: DooFi on Wikipedia.

Jonathan Avila · Answer

undefined A cirque is a bowl-shaped hollow with steep walls, typically found at the head of a glacier or high in mountainous regions. They are formed through the process of glacial erosion. As a glacier moves downhill, it scours the landscape, carving out deep hollows in the mountainside. Over time, this erosive action creates a circular depression with steep walls, known as a cirque. Glacial meltwater often accumulates in cirques, forming small lakes called tarns.