How is an arete formed?

Answer 1

An arête is a thin ridge of rock which is formed when two glaciers erode parallel U-shaped valleys.

The arête is a thin ridge of rock that is left separating the two valleys

Arêtes can also form when two glacial cirques erode head wards towards one another, although frequently this results in a saddle-shaped pass, called a col. The edge is then sharpened by freeze-thaw weathering.

Where three or more cirques meet, a pyramidal peak is created. - (a famous example is the 'Matterhorn').

Form the above it must be clear that arêtes are landforms found in mountainous terrains that have been subject to glaciation. They are therefore very common in the Alps.

Answer 2

In mountain forms, a Horn is a form of evolutionary convergence.

A horn is formed of three (or four) smooth steep faces, and the junctions of these faces are called aretes. A narrow ridge.

They are usually formed by glacial action upon the mountain.

Answer 3

An arete is a large mountain ridge. An arete is formed by the movement of a glacier. When a glacier passes both sides of a mountain top or other rock formation, it can wear the rock and create a sharp edge.

Answer 4

An arête is typically formed when two glaciers erode parallel U-shaped valleys. The arête is a thin, sharp ridge of rock that is separating the two valleys.