How Do Glaciers Shape the Land? Last Updated : 15 Apr, 2025 Comments Improve Suggest changes Like Article Like Report Glaciers shape the landform by the process of erosion. Majorly the erosion of the glaciers follows two different processes i.e. abrasion and plucking. Let's discuss. How Do Glaciers Shape the Land? The two processes of abrasion and plucking have a major role in helping glaciers shape the land. Abrasion: As a glacier moves, rocks and debris frozen within the basal ice act like sandpaper, grinding down the underlying bedrock. When the glacier flows downwards, it drags the rock, sediments, and debris with its ice and grinds them into small pieces. Plucking: Meltwater can seep into cracks in the bedrock beneath a glacier. When this water refreezes, it expands and widens the cracks. Over time, these cracks can become large enough for the glacier to pry loose and transport the fractured rock fragments.Weathering also plays a role. Freeze-thaw cycles can further weaken the bedrock, making it more susceptible to erosion by abrasion and plucking. Relevant Links: Types of Landforms| Class 11 Geography NotesDepositional Landforms (Running water)Glacial LandformsEvolution of Landforms Comment More infoAdvertise with us Next Article How Do Glaciers Shape the Land? Y yashaswiniw5du Follow Improve Article Tags : School Learning School Geography Biology Biology Questions & Answers Similar Reads Land and its Uses Land is a valuable natural resource that plays a significant role in the survival and prosperity of human society. The earth's surface offers numerous advantages such as food security, shelter facilities, and a comprehensive workspace for business activities. Nonetheless, it becomes crucial to utili 6 min read How Do Tectonic Plates Affect the Surface of Earth? Tectonic plates are large, rigid slabs of rock that makeup Earth's outermost layer, the lithosphere. These plates are not entirely independent, but they move slowly over the hot, plastic mantle below. How Do Tectonic Plates Affect the Surface of Earth?The movement of tectonic plates and interaction 2 min read Landslides| Class 11 Geography Notes Landslide is a subpart of the Class 11 Geography Chapter Natural Hazards and Disasters: Causes, Consequences, and Management. This subpart describes the Landslide and the different factors related to it. A landslide is a natural hazard that is caused by the mass movement of different natural materia 4 min read Major Landforms of the Earth Major Landforms of the Earth: Landforms refer to the physical features that are present on the surface of the Earth. It includes mountains, plateaus, and plains. Natural processes which include the weathering, water, sinking, elevation, and erosion of soil lead to the constant re-shaping of the surf 9 min read Describe the Formation of Erosional Plains. Plains are large, flat and level pieces of land. They are generally very fertile in nature and support the growth of crops and other plants which are useful to humans. Plains generally have a large amount of population due to various reasons such as easy terrain, more opportunities, fertile land and 6 min read Like