Glaciers and Glacial Landforms

Kenai Fjords National Park
A view of the blue ice of Pedersen Glacier at its terminus in Pedersen Lagoon (Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska)

NPS Photo/Jim Pfeiffenberger

Introduction

Glaciers are moving bodies of ice that can change entire landscapes. They sculpt mountains, carve valleys, and move vast quantities of rock and sediment.

In the past, glaciers have covered more than one third of Earth's surface, and they continue to flow and to shape features in many places.

Glaciers and the landscapes they have shaped provide invaluable information about past climates and offer keys to understanding climate change today.


Glacier Landforms

Past glaciers have created a variety of landforms that we see in National Parks today, such as:

Loading results...



    Featured Video—Yosemite Glaciers

    Featured Article

    Loading results...

      Geological Monitoring

      Loading results...

        Photo Gallery

        Glacier Parks

        Last updated: December 18, 2020

        Tools

        • Site Index