What is the primary method by which glaciers sculpt the landscape?

Glaciers primarily sculpt the landscape through the process of erosion. As glaciers move, they carry with them large amounts of ice, rock, and sediment. This immense weight and the movement of the glacier create significant erosive forces that shape the underlying terrain.

Glacial erosion occurs in several ways, including plucking and abrasion. Plucking happens when the glacier freezes onto rock and pulls pieces away as it moves. Abrasion occurs as the glacier scrapes over the surface, grinding down the rock beneath it much like sandpaper. These processes result in the formation of distinctive landforms such as U-shaped valleys, fjords, and cirques, which showcase the landscape's transformation due to glacial activity.

While weathering, deposition, and chemical alteration also play a role in shaping the Earth’s surface, they do so through different mechanisms. Weathering breaks down rocks into smaller particles, deposition involves the laying down of sediment carried by glaciers or other processes, and chemical alteration refers to the changes in mineral composition through chemical reactions. However, these processes do not primarily drive the distinct and dramatic landscape modifications associated with glacial action.