As recently as 12,500 years ago, Mt. Mansfield and Camel's Hump were just beginning to poke their summits out of the surrounding glacier ice. As the ice receded, changes in the land began to show. Material embedded within the ice was deposited as melting occurred, and new landforms were created. Many of these deposits are visible today and, to a somewhat trained eye, they can tell us more about the last glaciation. Vermont's topography has also been shaped to a large degree by glacial action.
Many topographic features are visible today, and give additional clues to Vermont's glacial history.
Though glaciers have played a large role in developing Vermont's landscape, other earth changing processes have always been active. Erosion of Vermont's surface is a constant process and 12,000 years of it has masked the older glacial evidence. There is an overview of both surficial and topographical features and their implications as well as a discussion of current geomorphic factors influencing Vermont. This site is best viewed at either 640x480 or 800x600 screen resolution with at least 16 bit color. At higher resolution, resizing the browser window will usually correct any viewing problems.