❄️ glaciation sg1 Flashcards
what is a glacier
land based ice mass which is thick enough to flow under its own weight
how much of the earths surface is covered in glaciers
10%
where are glaciers found
- high altitude (height above sea level)
- high latitude (distance from equator)
what kind of system is a glacier
open system
inputs of matter into a glacier
precipitation
avalanches
rockfall
inputs of energy into a glacier
thermal energy from sun
kinetic energy from ice moving & wind
potential energy from high altitude
processes of erosion in a glacier
abrasion
plucking
freeze thaw weathering
outputs in a glacier
meltwater
evaporation
calving ice bergs
glacial drift
sublimation
debris
thermal energy from friction
what is accumulation
gain of snow and ice to a glacier over a long period of time
what is the zone of accumulation
upper reaches of a glacier where accumulation > ablation
what is ablation
loss of ice through melting, calving, evaporation & sublimation
what is the zone of ablation
lower altitudes where ablation > accumulation
what is the equilibrium line
seperates 2 zones, accumulation = ablation
what is the glacier mass balance
difference between accumulation and ablation
- winter = positive mass balance
- summer = negative mass balance
what is dynamic equilibrium
where short term changes and inbalance, balance out over time due to negative feedback loops