How does the process of plucking cause erosion?
Plucking is when parts and pieces of the earth (rocks and soil) are picked up by a moving glacier. As the glacier freezes the rocks and soil are frozen to the bottom of the glacier. As the glacier melts and moves the rocks are dragged along the earth digging up more earth and bits as they go. Thus they are eroding the earth as the glacier moves : )
The process of plucking refers to the erosion of rocks and sediment by glaciers. When a glacier moves, it exert force and pressure on the rocks beneath it. As the glacier advances, it gets embedded into the cracks and crevices of the rocks.
Now, let's understand how this process causes erosion. When the glacier moves forward, the rocks in contact with it are plucked or pulled away from the underlying bedrock. This happens due to the sheer force and pressure of the moving ice. As the rocks are torn away, they become incorporated into the flowing glacier.
The plucked rocks carried by the glacier act as tools, scraping and gouging the bedrock below, thereby causing erosion. As the glacier continues to move, it gathers more rocks and sediments, which further enhance the erosion process.
Additionally, plucking can also loosen and detach smaller rock fragments, known as rock flour or glacial flour, from the surface. These fine particles are then carried away by the meltwater from the glacier, contributing to erosion through abrasion and transportation.
To observe and understand the process of plucking and its impact on erosion, researchers often conduct fieldwork in glacier-rich regions, studying the bedrock and analyzing the composition of the sediments carried by glaciers.