glaciers
Slow ice mountains
Glaciers is the plural of glacier, a massive body of ice formed from compressed snow that moves slowly under its own weight.
Glaciers shape landscapes by carving valleys and depositing debris.
They store most of Earth's fresh water.
The glaciers are retreating due to warming temperatures.
We hiked to see the glaciers in Alaska.
Year-old compacting snow
- névéGranular, compacted alpine snow
- compactionReducing volume through pressure
- snowpackAccumulated mountain winter layers
- accumulation zoneWhere ice sheet grows
ice sheet · ice cap · icefield · recrystallization · pressure · densification · snowfall · precipitation
Rising planetary temperatures
- climate changePlanetary atmospheric transformation
- sea level riseIncreasing ocean surface height
- meltingSolid-to-liquid transition
- albedoSurface reflection coefficient
greenhouse gases · carbon emissions · ice loss · mass balance · meltwater · permafrost · habitat loss · ice cores
Earth's frozen water systems
- ice coreGlacial sample revealing past
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- remote sensingGathering data without contact
- mass balanceNet change in glacier ice
monitoring · research station · dating methods · hydrology · field study · measurement · observation · mapping
Unbroken forward movement
- calvingIce mass separation
- surgingRising with sudden force
- advanceMove or progress forward
- retreatSanctuary or withdrawal
creep · velocity · plasticity · meltwater · jökulhlaup · deposition · erosion · plucking
Deep glacial fissure
- moulinGlacier's vertical drainage shaft
- icefallSteep, crevassed glacier section
- terminusFinal destination point
- snoutBeast's protruding face
moraine · arête · cirque · horn · tarn · U-shaped valley · fjord · drumlin
Impressively dignified and beautiful
- vastExtremely great in size
- ancientVery old indeed
- pristinePure and untouched
- awe-inspiringEvoking reverential wonder
towering · immense · breathtaking · dramatic · serene · imposing · monumental · spectacular
firn
Year-old compacting snow
- névéGranular, compacted alpine snow
- compactionReducing volume through pressure
- snowpackAccumulated mountain winter layers
accumulation zone · ice sheet · ice cap · icefield · recrystallization · pressure · densification · snowfall · precipitation
global warming
Rising planetary temperatures
- climate changePlanetary atmospheric transformation
- sea level riseIncreasing ocean surface height
- meltingSolid-to-liquid transition
albedo · greenhouse gases · carbon emissions · ice loss · mass balance · meltwater · permafrost · habitat loss · ice cores · paleoclimate
cryosphere
Earth's frozen water systems
- ice coreGlacial sample revealing past
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- remote sensingGathering data without contact
mass balance · monitoring · research station · dating methods · hydrology · field study · measurement · observation · mapping
flow
Unbroken forward movement
retreat · creep · velocity · plasticity · meltwater · jökulhlaup · deposition · erosion · plucking · abrasion
crevasse
Deep glacial fissure
- moulinGlacier's vertical drainage shaft
- icefallSteep, crevassed glacier section
- terminusFinal destination point
snout · moraine · arête · cirque · horn · tarn · U-shaped valley · fjord · drumlin · erratic
majestic
Impressively dignified and beautiful
awe-inspiring · towering · immense · breathtaking · dramatic · serene · imposing · monumental · spectacular · grandeur
- AntarcticaSouth Pole, Amundsen, Scott, penguins, ice sheet
- ArcticArctic Circle, Arctic Ocean, Arctic wildlife, Arctic exploration, Arctic research
- earth scienceatmosphere, earthquake, geology, volcano, crust
- Ice Ageice age, mammoths, saber-tooth cat, mammoth, woolly mammoth
- polar regionsAntarctica, polar bears, Arctic Ocean, Arctic, Arctic Circle
- Alpine SceneryMont Blanc, Matterhorn, Swiss Alps, Dolomites, alpine landscapes
glaciersvolcanoes
Lava-emitting geological formations
lava flows · magma · infernos · hot springs · geysers
glaciersrivers
Flowing bodies of water
torrents · flash floods · rapids · waterfalls · avalanches
glaciersdeserts
Abandons or barren lands
savannas · tropics · sand dunes · Death Valley · rainforests
- melting glaciersIce fields shrinking from warmth
- glacier meltFrozen river becoming water
- retreating glacier
- Glacier National ParkMontana mountain reserve
- glacier waterRunoff from ice masses
- glacier retreatShrinking of frozen masses