Cirque is a type of glacial erosional landform. It is also known as a corrie. They are deep, long and wide troughs or basins with very steep concave to vertically dropping high walls at its head as well as sides.

A cirque (French:; from the Latin word circus) is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from Scottish Gaelic: coire, meaning a pot or cauldron) [1] and cwm (Welsh for 'valley'; pronounced). A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landform arising from fluvial erosion.

Feb 9, 2018 · Cirques are bowl-shaped, amphitheater-like depressions that glaciers carve into mountains and valley sidewalls at high elevations. Often, the glaciers flow up and over the lip of the cirque as gravity drives them downslope. Lakes (called tarns) often occupy these depressions once the glaciers retreat. How can glaciers flow uphill?

cirque, (French: “circle”), amphitheatre-shaped basin with precipitous walls, at the head of a glacial valley. It generally results from erosion beneath the bergschrund of a glacier.

Oct 5, 2020 · Far from being the same in all mountain areas, a wide range of cirque types occur. The most common are 1,6: Simple cirques, which are distinct and independent features; Compound cirques, where the upper part of a cirque basin …

Feb 3, 2025 · Yes, a cirque is indeed a landform. Specifically, it is a glacial erosional landform , a distinct feature sculpted by the powerful forces of ice. These remarkable formations are often described as amphitheater-like valleys, characterized by their bowl-shaped depressions , steep headwalls, and gentle floors.

Apr 25, 2017 · A cirque, or Corrie, is an amphitheater-like valley created by glacial erosion. The glacial cirque is opened on the downhill side while the cupped section is steep. The cliffs on the sides slope down and combine and converge from three or more higher sides.

Jul 31, 2018 · Glacial Erosional Landforms. Cirque/Corrie. Hollow basin cut into a mountain ridge. It has steep sided slope on three sides, an open end on one side and a flat bottom. When the ice melts, the cirque may develop into a tarn lake. Glacial Trough. Original stream-cut valley, further modified by glacial action. It is a ‘U’ Shaped Valley.

May 24, 2023 · Let’s take a look at a few common glacial landforms types and how they form. 1. Cirque. A small tarn, found within a cirque. Scales Tarn and Sharp Edge, Blencathra by Philip Halling. A steep-walled mountain basin with one open side, …

A cirque (French: [siʁk]; from the Latin word circus) is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from Scottish Gaelic coire, meaning a pot or cauldron) and cwm (Welsh for 'valley'; pronounced [kʊm]).