U-shaped valley

A glaciated valley in the Mount Hood Wilderness showing the characteristic U-shape.

A U-shaped valley is one formed by the process of glaciation. They have a characteristic U-shape, with steep, straight sides, and a flat bottom. Glaciated valleys are formed when a glacier travels across and down a slope, carving the valley by the action of scouring. When the ice recedes or thaws, the valley remains, often littered with small boulders that were transported within the ice.

Examples of U-valleys are found in mountainous region like the Alps or Rocky mountains but also in Scotland, Scandinavia or Canada. A classic glacial trough was formed by the St. Mary River in Glacier National Park in Montana, USA.

U-shaped valley in Glacier National Park in Montana, United States.

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See also

*V-shaped valley
*Hanging valley
*Side valley