1c.Types of glacier Flashcards
1
Q
Formation of ice
A
- Snow remains frozen throughout the year (firn), fresh snow falls on the old snow
- Fresh snow has low density and traps air
- As more new snow falls, it compresses the layers of snow beneath, squeezing air out (more dense, turns into glacial ice)
- Takes 1000+ years, glacial ice is blue 100m deep (lack of oxygen)
-Diagenesis: compressing of snow to ice
2
Q
Ice sheets
A
- 50,000^2 km
- Ice flows out from center
- Covered most of Europe during ice age
- Antarctic ice sheet: 13.6 million^2 km, 30 million^3km over 4700m deep
3
Q
Valley glaciers (alpine glacier)
A
- Glaciers confined by valley sides
- Outlet glaciers from ice sheets or fed by ice from corrie glaciers
- 10 to 30km in length
- Steep sides
4
Q
Ice Cap
A
- 50,000^2km>
- Huge flattened some shape mass of ice
5
Q
Ice shelf
A
- Extension of ice sheets over sea
- 1km thick
- 500m thick at edge
6
Q
Piedmont glacier
A
-Large lobs of ice formed when glaciers spread out over plains