Opens in a new tab

Letter GGeology glossary

Glacial Lake

A glacial lake is a body of water formed by the melting of glacial ice, often dammed by moraines, ice, or bedrock. These lakes are important indicators of past glacial activity, climate change, and the dynamics of glacial meltwater. Studying glacial lakes helps in understanding the processes of deglaciation, sedimentation, and landscape evolution. 

Snowy mountains above turquoise glacial lake
Fig. 1 Snowy mountains above turquoise glacial lake

Source Benn, D. I., & Evans, D. J. A. (2010). Glaciers and Glaciation. Routledge.

join.me

Geology made clear, in your inbox.

Get clear, visual explainers on rocks, minerals, deep time, and the most fascinating parts of Earth science from Geoscopy.