Periglacial Landforms

Definition

Landforms produced in cold, nonglacial environments (Harris et al. 1988 and references therein) where annual freezing and thawing is present.

Formation

Periglacial landforms form by frost action, the alternate freezing and thawing of moisture in unconsolidated or consolidated materials, or by permafrost processes, deformation, or cracking in perennially frozen ground Washburn (1980).

Frost action may result in cryoturbation, movements in an unconsolidated material resulting from water-ice phase changes in the active layer (Harris et al. 1988 and references therein), which are responsible for sorted patterned ground or small nonsorted patterned ground (earth hummock).

On slopes, frost action also induces downslope movement of superficial materials that may produce solifluction feature.

Thermal contraction cracking is responsible for polygonal patterned ground, whereas deformation of permafrost on slopes may produce rock glacier. On Earth, periglacial environments are...