Chapter 17: Problem 10

How is an arête formed? A col? A horn? Briefly differentiate among them.

Short Answer

Expert verified

An arête is a ridge, formed when glaciers erode on opposite sides of the ridge. A col is a pass, formed between two mountain peaks by frost weathering and glacial erosion. A horn is a peak, formed when glaciers erode a mountain on at least three sides. The difference between them lies in their shapes and the sides that glaciers erode.

Step by step solution

Define Arête

An arête is a sharp mountain ridge which is often formed by the process of glaciation. Two glaciers erode parallel U-shaped valleys are eroded on opposite sides of a ridge. Over time, this erosion process sharpens the edge of the ridge, forming an arête.

Define Col

A col is a type of mountain pass that is created between two mountain peaks often by a process called frost weathering and by erosion caused by glaciation. When continued erosion by these processes deepens the x-axis of a saddle between two mountains, it results in a valley or gap known as a col.

Define Horn

A horn is a peak-shape mountain that forms when glaciers erode a mountain on three or more sides. The glacial erosion truncates the ridge of the mountain, resulting in a horn.

Differentiate among Arête, Col and Horn

An arête, col, and horn are all geological formations resulting from glaciation and other processes. The major difference between them is their shape and the number of sides that glaciers erode. An arête is a sharp ridge, a col is a valley between two mountain peaks, and a horn is a peak shaped mountain often eroded on three or more sides, resembling a pyramid.

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How is an arête formed? A col? A horn? Briefly differentiate among them.

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Define Arête

Define Col

Define Horn

Differentiate among Arête, Col and Horn

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