Ontario Grade 9 Geography Practice Exam

Glaciation significantly impacts landforms primarily through two processes: erosion and deposition. Erosional effects occur when glaciers move across the landscape, scraping and carving out valleys, mountains, and other geological features. This process creates distinct landforms such as U-shaped valleys, fjords, and cirques as the glacier grinds away at the bedrock.

On the other hand, depositional effects happen when glaciers melt and drop the sediments they had transported. This process can lead to the formation of various landforms, including moraines, drumlins, and outwash plains. The sediments can accumulate in different configurations, indicating the former position and movement of the glacier.

Understanding these two categories helps explain how glaciers shape and transform the Earth's surface, highlighting their role in shaping the topography of regions that have experienced past glaciation.