Affecting physical factors

1.1- Wind

• Erosion, Transportation and Deposition -> Aeolian Processes -> Can shape glaciated landscape e.g. acting on fine material previously deposited by ice or meltwater

1.2- Precipitation

• Main Input (Snow, Sleet, Rain) -> Determines Mass Balance
• High Latitudes- Low Precipitation e.g. Vostok, Antarctica (9.5mm)
• Low Latitudes- High Precipitation e.g. Jasper NP in Canadian rockies (600mm
• Often Seasonal (at lower latitudes) -> precipitation falling as snow has different impact to precipitation falling as rain e.g. Jasper NP (jan = 25mm, jun = 100m)
• Limits Accumulation of Ice

1.3- Temperature

• < 0°c = Accumulation
• > 0 °c = Ablation
• High Latitudes - Often < 0°c all year -> accumulation of ice even if low precipitation -> massive ice sheets in polar regions
• High Altitudes- Often > 0°c for several months -> Big Ablation

2.1- Lithology

• Lithology- the chemical and physical components of rocks
• Weak bonds between particles -> low resistance to erosion, weathering and mass movement e.g. clay
• Strong bonds between particles -> High resistance to erosion, weathering and mass movement.
• Limestone -> vulnerable to carbonation

2.2 Structure

• Structure- the physical characteristics of rocks including their jointing, bedding, angle of dip, faulting etc.

3.1- High Latitudes

• Beyond Arctic/Antarctic 66°N/S
• Cold, Dry Climate
• Little seasonal variation in precipitation
• Develop under large, relatively stable ice sheets e.g. Greenland, Antarctica

3.2- High Altitudes

• Temperature drops 0.6°c per 100cm
• High precipitation inputs
• More Variable temperature
• More summer melting

Landscapes developed under influence of more dynamic valley glaciers e.g. Rockies, Himalayas

Pastouri Glacier, Peru

• 10°N of equator
• 5250m above sea level
• 35°c at sea level
• 0.6°c dropped per 100m of climb
• 3.5°c at glacier

4.1- Relief

• Relief- steepness of slopes
• Steeper Relief -> Greater resultant force of gravity -> more energy glacier will have to move downslope

4.2- Aspect

• Towards Sun -> More solar radiation -> higher temps -> more melting
• Away from sun -> Less solar radiation -> lower temps -> less melting
• Positive mass balance -> larger glacier with more erosive power -> advance