Cirques
A cirque (also called corrie or cwm) is a steep-walled, amphitheatre-shaped depression at the head of a glacier, typically formed by glacial erosion of a pre-existing valley. Cirques are among the most distinctive landforms created by glacial erosion.
Real World
Red Tarn on Helvellyn in the Lake District sits in a classic cirque basin with a steep 200-metre headwall behind it, formed by freeze-thaw weathering and plucking during the last ice age.
Exam Focus
Always explain rotational flow when describing cirque formation — it distinguishes cirque erosion from simple valley glaciation.
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