Cirque Lake
When a corrie no longer holds a glacier it is possible to see how the ice has shaped the underlying rock. It is common to find a shallow depression (called a cirque depression) in the base of the corrie. Over time this fills with water forming a small lake. In the UK this is commonly called a tarn. In the USA it is known as a cirque lake
Photo of the tarn (or cirque lake) sitting in the corrie at the top of Helvellyn in the UK Lake District. |
|
 |
A view down onto a cirque lake, or tarn, in the French Alps. To the left of the lake you can see the raised corrie lip, and to the right is the back of the corrie with its steep face. To either side of the corrie are moraine deposits. |
 |
 |
