Arête
U.S. Geological Survey photo by Bruce Molnia (fair use policy)
When glaciers erode into both sides of a mountain ridge, the cirques on either side eventually meet in a sharp, ragged ridge called an arête (ar-RET). Arêtes are common in glaciated mountains such as the Alps. They were named from the French for "fish bone," probably because they are too jagged to be called hogbacks. This arête stands above Taku Glacier in Alaska's Juneau Icefield.
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