Which process determines cirque orientation when valley glaciers form on mountains?

💡 Explanation

When valley glaciers form, solar radiation ablation is the primary process influencing cirque orientation because increased sun exposure melts ice faster, leading to headwall erosion on equator-facing aspects and down-valley shifts. Therefore ablation determines orientation rather than other slope aspects, rockfall, crevasse patterns, or moraine deposition which influence cirque development differently.

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