A nunatak is a mountain top that is not covered by land ice (see glaciation and ice age), and protrudes out of a surrounding glacier. The wildlife on a nunatak can be isolated by the glacier, just like an island is in the ocean. Nunataks are generally angular and jagged because of freeze-thaw weathering, and can be seen to contrast strongly with the softer contours of the glacially eroded land below if the glacier retreats.

The word was taken from the Inuktitut language and has been used in west European languages at least since the 1880s.

Landforms

Nunatak | Nunatak | Nunatak | Nunatako | Nunatak | Nunatak | Nunatak | Nunatak | Нунатак | Nunatak | 冰原岛峰