Glaciers, Groundwater and

Drainage system
 di
in
in
h
r ic
so
al
is
ya
fa
an
im
.T
rk
pa
e
th
in
er
ys
ge
g
tin
up
er
is
th
in
en
se
be
n
ca
d
an
isl
e
th
of
04 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

e
tur
na
ic
an
lc
vo
he
.T
ds
an
Isl
ry
na
Ca
e
th
n
,i
te
ro
n za
La
on
ns
tio
ac
ttr
is ta
ur
to
nt
GEYSER
Geyser, hot spring that erupts intermittently in
a column of steam and hot water. Some
geysers erupt at regular intervals, but most
erupt irregularly, the intervals ranging from a
matter of minutes to years.

A geyser erupts when the base of a column of

water resting in the Earth is vaporized by hot
volcanic rock. The force with which the water
column is expelled depends on its depth. The
weight of the water column increases with its
depth.
 moraine
is an accumulation of sediment deposited
by a glacier. Moraines that form as bands
of irregular hills around the edge of a
glacier are known as ice marginal
moraines.

Three types of ice marginal moraine are

medial moraine, lateral moraine, and
terminal moraine.
Cheddar Gorge, Somerset

The scenery of Cheddar Gorge, in

south-west England,
is a result of water erosion of the
limestone bedrock of the Mendip
Hills by the underground
Cheddar Yeo, one of Britain’s
largest subterranean rivers. The
gorge was formed when the roof
of a cave system collapsed. Many
other caves, rich in stalactites
 Mammoth cave

Kentucky Mammoth Cave, in south-western

Kentucky in the United States, is the longest
known cave system in the world, with more
than 484 km (301 mi) of passageways. The
system has five levels, the lowest of which lies
about 110 m (360 ft) below the Earth’s surface.
Stalactites and stalagmites

The “Hall of Giants” in Carlsbad Caverns, New

Mexico, has both stalagmites and stalactites
in its vaulted interior. The icicle-like
formations grow as calcium-rich water seeps
through the cave.

As the water evaporates, minerals (primarily

calcite) are precipitated, gradually forming
stalactites on the ceiling and stalagmites on
the floor. Columns are created where
stalactites and stalagmites meet and grow
together.
 MEANDER

bend in the channel of a river with a

winding course. The term meander is
derived from the River Menderes in south-
western Turkey. Not all river bends are
necessarily meanders and to be classed
as meandering the course should
comprise a series of almost symmetrical
bends linked by short intervening straight
reaches, called crossings.
 MONOTES, CHINA

This spectacular riverside

landscape is an example of the
limestone feature karst. The
steep-sided, pointed hills are
known as mogotes and this
type of weathered karstic
terrain is found most notably
along the course of the Yangzi