Classic cirque bowls high in the alpine as seen from the top of the Three Sisters in the Spray Valley. (Photo: Margot McMechan)

Cirque bowls found high in the alpine region represent the type of classic Rocky Mountain scenery that Calgarians have come to love and enjoy. Cirque bowls are an erosional feature created by cirque glaciers and are usually found at elevations above 2000 m. They are often occupied by small lakes ('tarns'). Most cirque glaciers in the Canadian Rockies are oriented toward the northeast, as that is the direction that receives the least sunlight and the most leeward snow deposition from our strong southwest winds.

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Legend

	Holocene	Present - 10,000 years ago
	Quaternary	10,000 - 25,000 years ago
	Tertiary	25,000 - 65 million years ago
	Mesozoic	65 - 245 million years ago
	Paleozoic	245 - 670 million years ago