Editing Snowy Mountains (section)

===Glacial lakes===
[[File:Blue Lake - Kosciuszko.jpg|alt=|thumb|250x250px|[[Blue Lake (New South Wales)|Blue Lake]] in the characteristically U-shaped glacial valley, Kosciuszko National Park.]]
Part of the mountains known as [[Main Range (Snowy Mountains)|Main Range]] contains mainland Australia's five [[glacial lake]]s.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Snowy Mountains: A bushwalker's diary |last=Powell |first=Greg |year=1990 |publisher=Macstyle |location=Hampton, Victoria |isbn=1-875293-08-6 |page=10 }}</ref> The largest of these lakes is [[Blue Lake (New South Wales)|Blue Lake]], one of the headwaters of the [[Snowy River]]. The other four glacial lakes are [[Lake Albina]], [[Lake Cootapatamba]], [[Club Lake]] and Headley Tarn.

During the [[Quaternary glaciation|last ice age]], which peaked about 20,000 years ago in the [[Pleistocene]] [[Epoch (reference date)|epoch]], the highest peaks of the main range near Mount Kosciuszko experienced a climate which favoured the formation of [[glacier]]s, evidence of which can still be seen today. [[Cirque]]s [[moraine]]s, [[tarn (lake)|tarn lakes]], [[roche moutonnée]]s and other glacial features can all be seen in the area. [[Lake Cootapatamba]], which was formed by an ice spilling from Mount Kosciuszko's southern flank, is the highest lake on the Australian mainland. Lake Albina, Club Lake, [[Blue Lake (New South Wales)|Blue Lake]], and Hedley Tarn also have glacial origins.<ref>West, D.,(1994) Kosciuszko Natural Heritage.</ref>

There is some disagreement as to exactly how widespread Pleistocene glaciation was on the main range, and little or no evidence from earlier glacial periods exists. The 'David Moraine', a one kilometre long ridge running across Spencers Creek valley seems to indicate a larger glacier existed in this area at some time, however the glacial origin of this feature is disputed.<ref>Galloway, RW (1963), Glaciation in the Snowy Mountains: A Re-appraisal</ref>

There is evidence of [[periglacial]] activity in the area. [[Solifluction]] appears to have created terraces on the north west flank of Mount Northcote.  [[Frost heave]] is also a significant agent of [[soil erosion]] in the Kosciuszko Area.