periglacial

American  

[per-i-gley-shuhl] / ˌpɛr ɪˈgleɪ ʃəl /

adjective

Geology.

1. occurring or operating adjacent to the margin of a glacier.

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periglacial British  

/ ˌpɛrɪˈɡleɪʃəl /

adjective

1. relating to a region bordering a glacier

   periglacial climate

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Etymology

Origin of periglacial

First recorded in 1925–30; peri- + glacial

Example Sentences

It also protected what's known as the periglacial environment, which includes things like permafrost - water trapped in frozen soil.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

"The periglacial environment, apart from being water reserves because they consist of water inside, undergoes a gradual thaw that feeds the rivers and streams of our country," she explains.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

But Greenpeace has criticised the bill for arguing that not all glaciers and periglacial environments act as strategic water reserves.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

"The primary function of all glaciers and the entire periglacial environment is to act as a freshwater reservoir," Agostina Rossi Serra, a biologist working with Greenpeace said.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

During the last ice age it experienced what geologists call a periglacial climate—a zone at the edge of an ice sheet characterized by frequent freeze-thaw cycles that fractured the rock.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson