Explanation – Glacial lakes form in various ways. They can be carved by glaciers, dammed by glacial debris, or even form on top of glaciers themselves. Meltwater from glaciers is the primary source of water for these lakes. Glacial lakes are often found in mountainous regions and can be quite deep and cold due to their origin. Some of the types of glacial lakes are:

• Moraine-dammed Lake: These lakes form when glaciers retreat, leaving behind piles of rocks and debris called moraines. If the moraine deposits block a valley, it creates a natural dam. Meltwater from the receding glacier or surrounding snowpack accumulates behind this dam, filling the basin and forming a lake.
• Erosional lake: Formed in depressions or basins created by glacial erosion. These depressions might be the result of glacial scour or other glacial processes that shape the landscape.
• Ice-dammed Lake: These lakes form when a glacier or glacial ice dams a river or valley. Unlike moraine-dammed lakes, here the ice itself acts as the dam. This can happen when a glacier advances or when large chunks of ice break off and lodge in a waterway. The dammed water accumulates behind the ice, forming a temporary lake. Ice-dammed lakes are less common and short-lived because the ice dam can melt relatively quickly, potentially causing sudden floods if it breaches.
• Cirque Lake (Tarn): Small Mountain lakes located in cirques, which are steep-walled amphitheater-shaped landforms formed at the mouth of a valley glacier.

Source: The Hindu