Periglacial processes and landforms are created in cold, dry environments in a variety of high latitude and high altitude locations. Climate conditions include cold winters, relatively warm summers that allow for numerous freeze‐thaw cycles, and enough precipitation to allow ground ice to develop, but not so much that glaciers are created. Processes that lead to landform development are complex, polygenetic, and involve a variety of characteristics that can be highly variable even within landforms found in a single location. Landform creation and the sorting process are primarily driven by the freezing process and the expansion of water as it transitions to ice. During periods of thaw, the landforms do not return to their original position, which allows the next round of freezing to enhance the formation and continued growth of the landforms. Periglacial landforms are susceptible to climate warming, which should reduce rates of activity and landform development.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.