Glaciers Flashcards
What is a glacier?
A huge mass of ice that moves slowly over land.
How do glaciers form?
When there is a build up of snow over many years causing a glacier
Where can they be found?
They can be found at altitude or sea
level.
What is the first stage of a glacier?
The main input is snow. Over time, the
weight of the snow compacts it from
powdery into glacial ice.
What is the second stage of a glacier?
The weight of the compacted ice then
combines with gravity to make the glacier
move slowly downhill. As it does so, it moves
sediment that has dropped onto it - and also
erodes its valley
What is the third stage of a glacier?
The main outputs from the system
include ice and meltwater -
together with lots of sediment.
What happens to the
glacier when the
inputs are greater than the outputs?
The equibrilium line would move fowards
What happens to the
glacier when the
outputs are greater than the inputs?
The equibrillium line would move backwards
What happens to the
glacier when the
outputs are the same
as the inputs?
The equibrillium line will stay in the same place
What is the accumilation zone?
The accumulation zone is where there are inputs into the
glacial budget.
What is the ablation zone?
The ablation zone is where there are outputs from the glacial
budget.
Why do glaciers grow and shrink?
The glacial budget varies during the course of a year. In the summer,
ablation will be at its highest, because of rapid melting of ice. During
the winter, higher amounts of snowfall and limited melting will result
in accumulation being greater than ablation.
