How does the process of glacial erosion shape the Earth's surface through abrasion, plucking, and the movement of ice masses, creating landforms such as cirques, horns, aretes, and U-shaped valleys, and shaping landscapes in glaciated regions through processes such as erosion, deposition, and glacial retreat?

Glacial erosion is a geologic process that shapes the Earth’s surface through the mechanical and abrasive action of moving ice masses. As glaciers flow downhill under their own weight, they erode bedrock and sediment, carving out distinctive landforms such as cirques, horns, aretes, and U-shaped valleys. Abrasion occurs when rocks and sediment carried by glaciers scrape and grind against the underlying bedrock, wearing it down over time. Plucking occurs when glaciers freeze onto rock surfaces and pluck out blocks of rock as they move, transporting them downstream. These erosional processes reshape landscapes in glaciated regions, creating features such as glacial cirques (bowl-shaped depressions), horns (sharp peaks), aretes (knife-edge ridges), and U-shaped valleys with steep walls and flat bottoms. Glacial deposition occurs when glaciers deposit sediment and rock debris as they melt or retreat, forming moraines, eskers, and drumlins. Glacial retreat exposes previously glaciated landscapes, leaving behind a legacy of distinctive landforms and geological features.