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Why did glaciers shape only the highest parts of the Carpathian Mountains?
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Carpathian Mountains
Regional division of the Carpathian Mountains (top) and a geologic cross section of the Western Carpathians (bottom). The location of the cross section is shown by the line N–S on the map.
Glaciers shaped only the highest parts of the Carpathian Mountains because the range's overall elevation is significantly lower than that of other mountain systems like the Alps. During the last Ice Age, the line of permanent snow in the Carpathians was situated at approximately 5,500 feet above sea level, which limited the extent of glacial development to the highest peaks.12
Consequently, even in areas such as the Tatras, glaciers were relatively small, never exceeding about 10 miles in length. While the relief of the Alps was profoundly transformed by extensive glaciation across nearly all mountain valleys, the current landscape of the Carpathians has been primarily shaped by the action of running water.21