Glaciation as a destructive and constructive control on mountain building

Moving mountains: glaciers cut them down — and build them up Glacial erosion is thought to have an important role in controlling mountain height. A common perception is that glaciers are powerful erosive agents, inhibiting the ability of active mountains to rise significantly above the elevation of permanent glaciation — through a process known as the glacial buzzsaw. But now a study of erosion patterns and climate data from the late Cenozoic in the glaciated Patagonian Andes suggests that glaciation can also have the reverse effect — in effect making mountains higher. At these polar latitudes, glaciation acts as a protective layer, preserving the uplifting mountains from erosion and allowing them to reach heights well above those predicted had a glacial buzzsaw been active.