Fjords

FJORDS are steep, magnificently scenic inlets that occur the length of the mainland BC coast and on the west side of the QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS and VANCOUVER ISLAND. Originally U-shaped valleys scoured by glaciers during the Pleistocene ice ages,a fjord characteristically has steep sides falling dramatically to and below the water; a RIVER, often with a spectacular WATERFALL, flows into the top end. Many fjords have shoaling along the mouth produced by a ridge or sill; this was caused when the glacier eroded well below sea level, creating a basin that was then invaded by sea water as the ice retreated. Depths are generally greater farther up the inlet than at the mouth. Most fjords contain at least one right angle, or dogleg, somewhere along their length. Some are extremely long, allowing deep-water vessels to penetrate far inland.
Reading: Stuart S. Holland, Landforms of British Columbia, 1976.