Which landform is a glacial valley that has been flooded by seawater, creating a sea-filled, U-shaped inlet?

Which landform is a glacial valley that has been flooded by seawater, creating a sea-filled, U-shaped inlet?

• A. Fjord Estuary
• B. Fjord
• C. Drumlin
• D. Foreshore

Answer: (B)

A fjord is a sea-filled valley carved by a glacier that was widened and deepened by glacial erosion, leaving a distinct U-shaped profile. When the glacier retreats, seawater floods the valley, creating a long, deep inlet with steep sides and a relatively flat floor. That combination of a glacially sculpted valley and subsequent inundation by seawater is exactly what defines a fjord. This landform differs from a drumlin, which is a small, elongated hill formed by deposited glacial sediments rather than a flooded valley. The foreshore is simply the part of the shore between high and low tide, not a glacially carved valley. A fjord estuary would still be a fjord, but the key feature here is the sea-filled, U-shaped valley itself, which is the hallmark of a fjord.

A fjord is a sea-filled valley carved by a glacier that was widened and deepened by glacial erosion, leaving a distinct U-shaped profile. When the glacier retreats, seawater floods the valley, creating a long, deep inlet with steep sides and a relatively flat floor. That combination of a glacially sculpted valley and subsequent inundation by seawater is exactly what defines a fjord.

This landform differs from a drumlin, which is a small, elongated hill formed by deposited glacial sediments rather than a flooded valley. The foreshore is simply the part of the shore between high and low tide, not a glacially carved valley. A fjord estuary would still be a fjord, but the key feature here is the sea-filled, U-shaped valley itself, which is the hallmark of a fjord.