The terrain is a volcanic plateau with 75% covered by water and conifer forests and the remainder being barren rock such as cliff faces, talus slopes and cinder cones.
Morainic drift is the movement of rock debris (talus) (see also Moraine) left by glaciers.
Rock Glaciers may extend outward and downslope from talus cones, glaciers or terminal moraines of glaciers.
It is a common upland variety above 600 metres in the Highlands of Scotland, with more than 10% of the UK population being found in the Cairngorm mountains, especially on scree slopes in Glen Feshie, and on Ben Avon, Ben MacDui and Beinn a' Bhùird.
The scree slopes around the summit have yielded some fossils: Trilobites, Trace fossils and Graptolites are found on rare occasions.
They include Sigaus villosus which can be found along the ridgelines, Brachaspis nivalis which lives on the rocky scree, Sigaus australis, Paprides nitidus which both live in the alpine tussocklands and Phaulacridium marginale which can be found in the tussocklands below 1100 m.