Glaciation odd one out
Identify the odd one out in each of the terms given below and suggest a reason why
it is the odd one out.
For example:
bergschrund
snout
cirque
arête
Reason:
Bergschrunds, arêtes and cirques are upland glaciation features. The snout is the
end of the glacier where melting occurs.
Find the odd one out
plucking
abrasion
erosion
moraine
medial
interglacial
terminal
lateral
glacial budget
accumulation
ablation
abrasion
Reason:
Reason:
Reason:
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Glaciation odd one out
tarn
drumlin
till
boulder clay
corrie
tarn
cirque
cwm
roche moutonnée
pyramidal peak
Matterhorn
arête
misfit stream
U-shaped valley
ribbon lake
frost shattering
10% expansion
erosion
Reason:
Reason:
Reason:
corrie lake
Reason:
freeze-thaw
weathering
Reason:
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Glaciation odd one out
U-shaped valley
truncated spur
arête
ribbon lake
plucking
glacial meltwater
erosion
hanging valley
till
drumlin
striation
erratic
abrasion
upland glaciation
circular motion
rotational slip
corrie lip
arête
Reason:
roche moutonnée
Reason:
egg-shaped
Reason:
Reason:
Reason:
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Glaciation odd one out
Answers
plucking
abrasion
erosion
moraine
Reason:
Plucking and abrasion are processes of erosion. Moraine is eroded material transported and deposited by a glacier.
medial
interglacial
terminal
lateral
Reason:
An interglacial is a warmer spell between two ice ages. Medial, terminal and lateral are three types of moraine.
glacial budget
accumulation
ablation
abrasion
Reason:
The glacial budget is the balance between accumulation and ablation. If accumulation exceeds ablation, the glacier
snout will advance. Abrasion is a process of glacial erosion.
tarn
drumlin
till
boulder clay
Reason:
Boulder clay or till is an unsorted ground moraine which is sometimes moulded by the glacier into drumlins. A tarn is
a lake in a corrie.
corrie
tarn
cirque
cwm
Reason:
A corrie can also be called a cirque or a cwm. A tarn is the lake sometimes found in a corrie.
roche moutonnée
pyramidal peak
Matterhorn
arête
Reason:
The Matterhorn is a classic example of a pyramidal peak with arêtes. A roche moutonnée is a smaller scale
example, where a hard outcrop of rock has been smoothed and plucked by glacial erosion.
corrie lake
misfit stream
U-shaped valley
ribbon lake
Reason:
Misfit streams and ribbon lakes are found in U-shaped valleys, whereas corrie lakes are an upland feature.
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Glaciation odd one out
freeze-thaw weathering
frost shattering
10% expansion
erosion
Reason:
Freeze-thaw weathering is where water successively freezes and thaws in a crack over many nights, expanding by
10% and enlarging the crack until it shatters the rock, i.e. it is a process of weathering rather than erosion.
U-shaped valley
truncated spur
arête
ribbon lake
Reason:
Ribbon lakes and truncated spurs occur in U-shaped valleys. An arête is an upland glaciation feature.
roche moutonnée
glacial
meltwater
plucking
erosion
Reason:
A roche moutonnée is formed partly by the erosional process of plucking in an upland area. Glacial meltwater flows
from the snout of a glacier, usually in a lowland area.
egg-shaped
hanging valley
till
drumlin
Reason:
Drumlins are egg-shaped features of glacial deposition. They are formed of till or boulder clay. Hanging valleys are
erosional features.
striation
till
abrasion
upland glaciation
Reason:
Till is a glacial deposit in a lowland area, whereas striations occur through abrasion in glaciated upland areas.
circular motion
rotational slip
corrie lip
arête
Reason:
Snow and ice accumulate in hollows on the side of the mountain. This moves in a circular motion, known as
rotational slip, over the lip of the corrie. Arêtes develop between corries.
Extension activity

Students can use notes to create their own ‘Glaciation odd one out’ activity. This can be
shared with other students in the class.

Students could add another glaciation key word or phrase to the existing table but
continue to preserve the correct odd one out.
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