Range of Glacial Environments

Question 1

What is an ice sheet?

Answer 1

A complete submergence of regional topography, several km thick in the centre. Can be between 100,000 and 10 million km2.

Question 2

What is an ice shelf?

Answer 2

An area of floating sea ice (glacier) connected to the coast. They can be between 10 and 100,000 km2.

Question 3

What is an ice cap?

Answer 3

Occupies upland areas - a smaller ice sheet. Can be between 3 and 10,000 km2.

Question 4

What is a highland ice field?

Answer 4

Ice covering an upland area but is not thick enough to bury topography. Can be between 10 and 10,000 km2.

Question 5

What is a valley glacier?

Answer 5

A glacier contained between valley walls. They can be between 3 and 1500 km2.

Question 6

What is a Piedmont Glacier?

Answer 6

A valley glacier that goes past the valley and extends out into a fan. Can be 3-1000 km2.

Question 7

What is a cirque?

Answer 7

A small glacier, occupying a nivation hollow on a mountainside. Formed from nivation snow gathering. Can be between 0.5 and 8 km2.

Question 8

What is the order of glaciers in size?

Answer 8

Ice sheet, Ice shelf, Ice cap, Highland ice field, Valley glacier, Piedmont glacier, Cirque glacier.

Question 9

What % of Earth’s surface do glaciers cover?

Answer 9

11%.

Question 10

What % of all freshwater on Earth is contained in glaciers?

Answer 10

75%.

Question 11

What % of overall water is stored in the cryosphere?

Answer 11

1.8%

Question 12

What is the % decrease in water stored in the cryosphere since 1991?

Answer 12

70%

Question 13

What the two main factors influencing distribution of ice cover?

Answer 13

Latitude and Altitude.

Question 14

How does latitude affect ice cover?

Answer 14

In high latitudes, the Sun’s rays hit the ground at a lower intercept angle and so the solar energy received is spread over a wider area.

Question 15

How does altitude affect ice cover?

Answer 15

Environmental Lapse Rate - the temperature decreases by 1 degree for every 100m that you climb.

Question 16

What are the other main factors in the distribution of ice cover?

Answer 16

Aspect and Relief. An shallower slope will have more snow settling, and in mountain areas they affect distribution of slops. NE facing slops are more shaded and sloped, and sheltered from the warm jet stream so are more likely to have a cirque forming.