paternoster lake

A paternoster lake is one of a series of lakes found in a glaciated valley. These lakes are arranged sequentially, resembling beads on a string, hence the name "paternoster" from the Latin for "our father," referencing a string of rosary beads.12

This unique arrangement occurs due to the irregular bedrock profile of the glacial valley, which features alternating steep steps and flatter sections. It is believed that differential erosion of the bedrock causes this pattern. Harder bedrock forms the steps, while softer or more fractured rock in flatter sections may be excavated by glaciers to create shallow basins. When several of these basins fill with water, forming lakes along a single glacial trough in this bead-like pattern, they are called paternoster lakes.2