Valley and piedmont glaciers originate in the high alpine and terminate on land.
They often flow through deep bedrock valleys that confine the ice on either side. Over time, they carve and shape these valleys (see U-Shaped Glacial Valleys).
If a valley glacier spills out of the mountains, onto the flat foreland, the ice often spreads to form a lobe. Then it is called a piedmont glacier.
Find Your Park: Which Parks Have Ice Caps and Ice Fields?
To learn more about glaciers, glacier features, and glacial landforms, see the Glaciers & Glacial Landforms Page.
Part of a series of articles titled Types of Glaciers.
Previous: Cirque and Alpine Glaciers
Last updated: February 9, 2018