 |
Basic Glacier Research
Hello,
this is just a basic site for information about Glaciers. I was never really sure how they worked and as a school project now I've learned. This is just a wrap up of what I've learned. Please, don't believe everything you read on the internet, it's not necessarily true!
Definition of a Glacier:
"A large mass of ice formed, at least in part, on land by the compaction and recrystallisation of snow, moving slowly down slope or outward in all directions, due to the stress of its own weight, and surviving from year to year." quotes:
museum.gov.ns.ca/fossils/glossary.htm
FAQ:
How Do Glaciers Form?
Glaciers form by snow. Snowflakes that land and eventual shape into little grains, then more snow falls leaving air spaces, but continues to compresses the layers of snow down, to form a Glacier.
What is the Difference between Valley Glaciers and Polar Ice Caps?
Valley Glaciers
A Valley Glacier has one or more small glaciers that flow down a valley joining more glaciers and moving down.
Polar Ice Caps
Ice Caps are larger Glaciers. They can be found on flat ground, and they are hard to stop from growing.
So, the differences between Ice Caps and Valley Glaciers is that the Ice Caps are usually larger and usually found on flat areas unlike the Valley Glaciers found in Valleys of Mountains.
How do Glaciers Erode the Land?
Glaciers erode the land because they pick up debris along the way, they can even carry heavy rock boulders around in them. So, when gravity pulls the boulders to the bottom of the pile, they dig into the ground as they are being pushed slowly down.
What is evidence of Valley and Continental Glacier Activity?
Evidence of Valley and Continental Glacier activity can be noticed by weather, since glaciers can change the weather. (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/earth/glacier3.html) and water you can tell if Glaciers are melting or growing by the amounts of water in the Mountains. You might even be able to hear a Glacier at work, because when it is going to fall, if it's on a steep hill, you can hear it creaking and cracking until it falls down.
What are some Factors affecting the Growth or Retreat of Valley Glaciers?
Some of the Factors that affect the Growth and Retreat of Glaciers include Seasonal Changes in Climate.
The Pictures are from the Following Websites:
http://www.uscg.mil/lantarea/iip/pics/glacier.jpg
http://astro.uchicago.edu/cara/vtour/nyang/glacier.jpg
http://instaar.colorado.edu/geophysics/members/mdm/gif/glacier.gif
http://www.demis.nl/poul/images/Kilimanjaro/Furtwangler%20glacier%20from%20summit.jpg
http://www.choose-positive-energy.org/Pix/glacier.jpg
http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2003/05/06/-big/Glacier.jpg
Glacier Morphology
Glaciers in Motion
The Anatomy of a Glacier
Send E-Mail to: btoriyak@hotmail.com
Copyright © 2004 Glacier_ice. All Rights Reserved