Ice is a strong erosional force and much of the topography we see today in the higher mountain ranges is due to carving of rock by glacial erosion. Bowl-shaped mountain faces called cirques and U-shaped valleys cut by glaciers can be easily seen in the Snake Range (mountain range in White Pine county, NV), the Ruby Mountains (mountain range in Elko county, NV with a small extension into White Pine county, NV) and other mountain ranges of Nevada. Today only one small alpine glacier remains in the Great Basin; it is a rock glacier located in within Great Basin National Park. The Wheeler Peak Glacier sits at the base of Wheeler Peak, in a protected cirque around 11,500 feet in elevation. The glacier measures 300 feet long and 400 feet wide. Rock glaciers are made up of angular rock fragments with ice filling the spaces between the blocks. Rock glaciers resemble alpine glaciers in outline and down-slope movement. By freezing, thawing, and sagging, the ice works with gravity to provide the force that moves the rock glacier. nps.gov/grba/naturescience/glaciers.htm Thanks Rob Gamesby and Geomorphology Rules for the great information share on the formation of U-Shaped Valleys!
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 08:42:47 +0000
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