U-shaped valley
Ice-carved depression
A U-shaped valley is a steep-sided valley with a broad, flat floor, carved by glacial erosion.
The characteristic U profile distinguishes it from V-shaped valleys cut by rivers.
The hikers descended into the U-shaped valley where a glacier had once flowed.
Also called a glacial trough.
- glacierSlow-moving ice mass
- ice ageEra of massive glaciation
- carvedCut to create form
- troughOpen container for animal feed
- steepRising at sharp angle
steep cliffs · walls · hanging · moraine · ice · alpine · Swiss Alps · fjord · erosion · mountain · mountain pass · cirque · flat · floor · parabolic · glacial · snowmelt · waterfall
- mountain featurespeaks, peak, ridges, summit, slopes
- Alpine termsMatterhorn, Mont Blanc, Eiger, cirque, arete
- glacial featuresmoraine, crevasse, arête, arete, aretes
- glacial landformsfjord, cirque, moraine, tarn, aretes
- Ice Age Featuresglacier, ice sheet, permafrost, moraine, glacial lake
- CanyonsGrand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion Canyon, slot canyon, Antelope Canyon
erosional agent/formation process
U-shaped valleyriver valley
Erosion-formed watercourse lowland
canyon · gorge · ravine · river gorge · slot canyon
shaped, shape, shapes, shaping, shaper, shapely, shapeless, reshape, reshaped