3.1.4.3 Systems and Processes Flashcards
What’s a glacier
Mass of ice moving downhill due to gravity
What’s a valley glacier
Glacier that fills valleys
Can be several km long
What’s a Corrie glacier
Smaller glacier found in a bowl shaped hallow high up in mountains
What are ice sheets
E.g
Domes of ice covering huge areas of land
E.g the Antarctic ice sheet
What’s the snow line
Point above which snow and ice cover the ground throughout the year
The snow and ice has survived the summer melting
What 2 things decrease as latitude increases
Snow line
Altitude
What 2 things happen when latitude decreases (closer to equator)
Snow line and altitude increase
How much snow can form at lower altitudes
Why
Less snow
Climate is warmer as air is more dense
Why is snow line higher nearer to the equator
The altitudes are higher so climates are colder so the snow line is higher as air is less dense so can’t retain much heat
So snow can form easier and less will melt
What’s aspect
Direction in which a slope faces
What’s the snowline on south facing slopes like
Why
Lower
It’s warmer
What’s the snowline like on north facing slopes
Why
Higher
They receive less sunlight so are cooler and snow can form easier with less melting
What’s the glacial budget
Balance between outputs and inputs of a glacial system
What’s the process of a glacier gaining mass
How does it do this
E.g
Accumulation
Due to inputs
E.g precipitation
What’s the process of a glacier losing mass
How does it do this
E.g
Ablation
Due to outputs
E.g meltwater
