headwall
Glacier's steep terminus
A headwall is a steep cliff or rock face at the head of a valley, cirque, or glacier—the back wall where the terrain rises sharply.
In mountaineering, headwalls are often the most challenging sections of a climb: The expedition stalled at the headwall below the summit.
In construction, a headwall is a retaining structure at a culvert or drain opening.
Slow-moving ice mass
- corrieGlacial mountain basin
- cwmGlacier-carved mountain hollow
- tarnGlacial mountain pool
- moraineGlacier-deposited debris pile
arête · névé · firn · crevasse · ice · erosion · amphitheater · basin
Successive downward flow
- plunge poolSmall cold-water basin
- dropFall or release
- cliffVertical rock wall
- escarpmentSteep slope dividing elevations
gorge · canyon · mist · erosion · precipice · overhang · cataract · chute
Head's anterior surface
- overhangSection projecting beyond support
- verticalAt right angles groundward
- pitchFrequency of sound
- routePath from A to B
ascent · exposure · technical · belay · rappel · crampons · ice axe · alpinism
Fruit's hard seed
- mineOre excavation site
- quarryPit for extracting rock
- shaftNarrow vertical passage
- trenchLong narrow excavation
slope · stability · collapse · reinforcement · retaining · shoring · backfill · bench
Dam's water release structure
- reservoirLarge water storage basin
- concreteSolid building mixture
- embankmentRaised earth structure
- hydroelectricGenerated by flowing water
overflow · impoundment · turbine · sluice · abutment · crest · foundation · penstock
glacier
Slow-moving ice mass
moraine · arête · névé · firn · crevasse · ice · erosion · amphitheater · basin · alpine
cascade
Successive downward flow
- plunge poolSmall cold-water basin
- dropFall or release
- cliffVertical rock wall
escarpment · gorge · canyon · mist · erosion · precipice · overhang · cataract · chute · spillover
face
Head's anterior surface
route · ascent · exposure · technical · belay · rappel · crampons · ice axe · alpinism · summit
pit
Fruit's hard seed
trench · slope · stability · collapse · reinforcement · retaining · shoring · backfill · bench · highwall
spillway
Dam's water release structure
- reservoirLarge water storage basin
- concreteSolid building mixture
- embankmentRaised earth structure
hydroelectric · overflow · impoundment · turbine · sluice · abutment · crest · foundation · penstock · tailwater
- skiingskiing, ski, ski resort, ski slope, ski slopes
- mountain featurespeaks, peak, ridges, summit, slopes
- mountain terrainpeak, ridge, slope, gorge, pass
- slopesslope, incline, slopes, inclines, grade
- glaciersglacier, crevasse, glacial movement, moraine, iceberg
- mountaineeringsummit, alpinist, mountaineer, ice axe, ice axes
headwallvalley floor
Bottom of depression between hills
plain · flat · gentle slope · lowland