Skredbotnen Cirque is a prominent glacial cirque located in the high-mountain landscape of Norway. It represents a classic example of a landform created by extensive Quaternary glaciation, characterized by its distinctive amphitheater shape, steep headwall, and often an overdeepened basin.
Etymology
The name Skredbotnen is Norwegian. "Skred" translates to "landslide" or "avalanche," while "botn" (the definite form of which is "botnen") refers to a "bottom" or "cirque" itself in a geographical context, often denoting a small, rounded valley or a glacial cirque. Thus, Skredbotnen can be interpreted as "The Landslide Cirque" or "The Avalanche Cirque," likely reflecting the active geomorphological processes, such as rockfalls and avalanches, that continue to shape its steep walls, particularly after glacial retreat.Location
Skredbotnen Cirque is situated within the Jotunheimen mountain range, a major alpine region in Eastern Norway known for its numerous glaciers, high peaks, and deeply glaciated valleys. Jotunheimen spans parts of Innlandet and Vestland counties and is characterized by some of the highest mountains in Northern Europe. As part of this region, Skredbotnen Cirque contributes to a landscape rich in glacial features, typically forming the headwall to a broader U-shaped valley.Geology and Formation
Like other glacial cirques worldwide, Skredbotnen Cirque was formed during periods of extensive glaciation, predominantly during the Pleistocene epoch. Its formation involves several key glaciological and geomorphological processes:- Nivation: The initial process where snow accumulates in a pre-existing hollow, leading to freeze-thaw weathering, chemical weathering, and the gradual enlargement of the depression.
- Glacial Plucking (Quarrying): As a small cirque glacier forms and grows within the nivation hollow, the ice freezes onto fractured bedrock on the leeward side (the headwall). The movement of the glacier then pulls away blocks of rock, effectively deepening and steepening the headwall.
- Glacial Abrasion: Rock fragments embedded in the base of the glacier scour and polish the bedrock, contributing to the saucer-shaped floor of the cirque.
- Rotational Flow: The ice within the cirque often exhibits a rotational movement, which aids in overdeepening the central part of the cirque floor. This often results in a basin that may contain a tarn (cirque lake) or wetland after the glacier retreats.
The steep, concave headwall, often reaching hundreds of meters in height, and the relatively flat or gently sloping floor are characteristic features of Skredbotnen Cirque. The ongoing processes suggested by its name, such as landslides and avalanches, are typical of post-glacial landscapes where weakened rock faces, exposed by intense glacial erosion, are subjected to continued weathering and mass wasting in a periglacial environment.