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Difficulty: Very hardLandform Development by Wind Action and Glaciation

Match each physical landform listed on the left with its precise developmental process and structural characteristics under aeolian or glacial action on the right.

  • YardangAeolian erosional ridge formed by differential abrasion acting on vertically tilted strata aligned parallel to the prevailing wind direction.
  • ZeugenFlat-topped ridge formed by wind abrasion breaching jointed horizontal cap-rocks to erode underlying soft strata into deep troughs.
  • Roche MoutonnéeAsymmetric bedrock hill formed by glacial abrasion on its gentle up-glacier slope and plucking on its steep down-glacier slope.
  • DrumlinStreamlined depositional mound of unsorted glacial till with a steep, blunt up-glacier end and a gently tapering down-glacier end.

Answer

Yardang matches with the aeolian erosional ridge formed on vertically tilted strata parallel to prevailing winds; Zeugen matches with the flat-topped ridge formed on jointed horizontal cap-rock; Roche Moutonnée matches with the asymmetric erosional bedrock hill exhibiting a gentle smoothed stoss side and steep plucked lee side; Drumlin matches with the streamlined depositional mound of till exhibiting a steep blunt stoss side and tapering lee tail.
The matching correctly pairs each landform with its exact agent (wind vs glacier), process (abrasion/plucking vs deposition), and structural orientation (vertical vs horizontal strata, stoss vs lee slope profiles).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze aeolian erosional landforms by structural strata orientation
Identify that Yardangs form on vertically aligned rock bands, whereas Zeugen form on horizontally bedded strata with jointed cap-rocks.
Differential wind abrasion attacks structural weaknesses based on whether strata inclination is vertical or horizontal.
2
Differentiate glacial erosional landforms from depositional landforms
Identify Roche Moutonnée as an erosional bedrock feature formed by combined abrasion and plucking, and Drumlin as a depositional feature composed of unsorted glacial drift.
Erosional glacial landforms sculpt solid bedrock, while depositional glacial landforms aggregate till under moving ice mass.
3
Examine stoss-and-lee slope polarity for Roche Moutonnée versus Drumlin
Confirm that a Roche Moutonnée has a gentle stoss slope up-ice and a steep lee slope down-ice, whereas a Drumlin has a steep stoss side up-ice and a gentle tapering lee tail down-ice.
Glacial ice abrades the up-ice side of bedrock obstacles (Roche Moutonnée) but deposits and molds till heavily on the advancing up-ice side of drumlins.

Key Concept

Structural and Process Mechanics in Aeolian and Glacial Landform Development
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

Landform Development by Wind Action and Glaciation

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