Glaciation Flashcards
When was the last ice age in Europe and the British Isles
The last ice age in Europe and the British isles was 18,000 years ago
Europe in the Ice Age
In Europe, about 18,000 years ago, ice sheets spread down from the north as climate cooled. As well as the great ice sheets, glaciers filled and eroded the valleys
Interglacial periods
Interglacial periods are warm periods between these glaciations. Temperatures can be higher than they are today
Glacial periods
Glacial periods are ice advances, the last one ended 10,000 years ago
The Mer de Glace glacier
The Mer de Glace is an alpine glacier located on the northern slopes of the Mont Blanc massif, in the French Alps.
What is a Glacier
A glacier is a mass of moving ice
Characteristics of a glacier
Snowfall Jagged mountain peaks Cirque/Corrie Crevasses Snout Terminal moraine
High Latitude
High latitude means the glacier is closer to the poles and further away from the equator
High altitude
Away from the poles glaciers only exist in mountainous terrain. As long as the mountain is high enough there will even be glaciers close to the equator.
Glacial Advancement
When more snow falls than melts the glacier grows
Glacial Retreat
When more snow melts than falls so the glacier melts or retreats
Accumulation
accumulation is greater in the higher reaches of the glacier
Ablation
ablation is greater in the lower, warmer reaches of the glacier
How are glaciers formed
1) snowflakes collect or accumulate in a hollow in a mountainside.
2) more and more snow falls on the flakes, increasing the density or weight.
3) the increased weight compresses the snow at the bottom into solid ice.
4) If the ice doesn’t melt and the snow continues to fall, the ice mass (glacier) will become bigger and heavier. Gravity will cause it to move downhill very slowly.
Glacial Processes
Frost shattering (freeze-thaw weathering), abrasion (striations) and plucking