Glacier Landforms: Grooves and Striations

Glacial grooves and striations are gouged or scratched into bedrock as the glacier moves downstream. Boulders and course gravel get trapped under the glacial ice, and abrade the land as the glacier pushes and pulls them along.

Photograph of glacial striations in Mount Rainier National ParkThis photograph shows glacial striations on rocks at Mount Rainier National Park —Credit: Photograph by Walter Siegmund

Photograph of glacial grooves, Kelleys Island, OhioThese glacial grooves are part of the Glacial Grooves State Monument located on Kelleys Island in Ohio. These grooves were scoured into the rock by an ice sheet that once covered part of North America. —Credit: Photograph by Virginia Hill

Photograph of glacier grooves, Kelleys Island, OhioHistoric glaciers pushed and dragged rocks and debris as they flowed across the landscape, gauging deep grooves into the bedrock at Glacial Grooves State Monument located on Kelleys Island in Ohio. —Credit: Photograph by Micah Maziar

Photograph of glacial striations, Lake Huron, OntarioGlaciers and ice sheets once covered most of Canada, and etched striations into the landscape. This photograph of striations comes from Lake Huron, Ontario. —Credit: Mary Sanseverino