What is the main factor influencing the formation of glacial landforms?

The formation of glacial landforms is primarily influenced by ice movement. Glaciers are massive bodies of ice that move slowly over land due to their own weight and the influence of gravity. This movement can erode the landscape, carve out valleys, and shape mountains, resulting in distinctive features such as U-shaped valleys, fjords, and drumlins.

As glaciers advance and retreat, they transport materials and create various landforms through processes such as abrasion and plucking. These processes occur as the moving ice interacts with the underlying rock and sediment, sculpting the terrain over time. Therefore, the dynamics of ice movement are crucial in determining the types of landforms that develop in glaciated regions.

While temperature can impact glacier formation and melting, it is the movement of the ice itself that directly leads to the creation of the physical features associated with glacial landscapes. Wind and water flow, while important factors in other geological processes, do not primarily drive the development of glacial landforms.