Cryoplanation Terrace

A cryoplanation terrace is a gently inclined or nearly horizontal bedrock-cut bench that forms on slopes, spurs, and broad interfluves in periglacial environments, produced by the parallel retreat of steeper slope segments under intense seasonal freezing or permafrost conditions. The terraces are typically found in Arctic regions, though geologists note real uncertainty about the process: cryoplanation is thought to produce only small terraces, and many features once attributed to it may instead reflect the underlying rock own composition and structure rather than a distinct cold-climate erosion process.