Randy Olson, Melissa Farlow Photography

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A glacier recedes near the Matterhorn leaving ridges and jagged peaks where there was once ice. Much of the iconic mountain was carved away by glacial erosion.
The National Snow and Ice Data Center describes Matterhorn geology in "All About Glaciers." Cirques are rounded hollows or bowl shapes after a glacier has melted away. Aretes are jagged narrow rides created when two glaciers meet eroding on both sides. And horns are created when several cirque glaciers erode until all that is left is a steep, pointed peak with sharp ridge-like Arêtes leading to the top.

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MELISSA FARLOW
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2336x3504 / 2.6MB
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Alps National Geographic MM7139 FARLOW OLSON
A glacier recedes near the Matterhorn leaving ridges and jagged peaks where there was once ice. Much of the iconic mountain was carved away by glacial erosion. <br /> The National Snow and Ice Data Center describes Matterhorn geology in "All About Glaciers." Cirques are rounded hollows or bowl shapes after a glacier has melted away. Aretes are jagged narrow rides created when two glaciers meet eroding on both sides. And horns are created when several cirque glaciers erode until all that is left is a steep, pointed peak with sharp ridge-like Arêtes leading to the top.