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A 'cirque glacier' is formed in cirque, bowl-shaped depressions on the side of mountains. Snow and ice accumulation in cirques often occurs as the result of avalanching from higher surrounding slopes.
In these depressions, snow persists through summer months, and is transformed into glacier ice. Snow may be situated on the leeward slope of a mountain, where it is sheltered. Rock fall from above slopes also plays an important role in sheltering the snow and ice from sunlight.
Randklufts may form beneath cirque glaciers as open space between the ice and the bedrock, where meltwater can play a role in erosion of the rock.

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Further reading

Further reading

★ Lewis, W.V. (1960) ''Norwegian Cirque Glaciers'', Royal Geographical Society Research Series 4