ice-caps
Frozen polar sheets
Ice-caps are thick masses of ice and snow that permanently cover polar regions or mountain peaks.
The term usually refers to the vast frozen expanses at Earth's poles: Climate scientists warn that melting ice-caps will raise sea levels dramatically.
An ice-cap is smaller than an ice sheet but still covers at least 50,000 square kilometers.
Slow-moving ice mass
- firnYear-old compacting snow
- crevasseDeep glacial fissure
- moraineGlacier-deposited debris pile
- calvingIce mass separation
accumulation · iceberg · glaciologist · stratigraphy · compaction · snowpack · paleoclimate · mass balance
Earth's northernmost zone
- AntarcticSouthern polar region
- GreenlandLargest island on Earth
- North PoleEarth's northern axis point
- South PoleSouthernmost point on Earth
polar regions · icefield · Svalbard · glaciated · high latitude
Rising planetary temperatures
- sea level riseIncreasing ocean surface height
- climate changePlanetary atmospheric transformation
- greenhouse gasesEmissions that trap heat
- CO2 emissionsReleased greenhouse gases
carbon footprint · Paris Agreement · IPCC · mitigation · adaptation · feedback loops · glacial retreat · thermal expansion
Shrinking of ice masses
- meltwaterWater from melted ice
- runoffExcess water drainage
- thinningReducing density or number
- disintegrationProcess of breaking apart
collapse · breakup · warm currents · ablation · drainage
Large white arctic mammal
- penguinFlightless aquatic southern bird
- sealAuthentication stamp or mark
- walrusTusked Arctic marine mammal
- arctic foxCold-adapted northern canine
krill · arctic tern · snowy owl · narwhal · beluga · phytoplankton · algae · emperor penguin
glacier
Slow-moving ice mass
calving · accumulation · iceberg · glaciologist · stratigraphy · compaction · snowpack · paleoclimate · mass balance · remote sensing
Arctic
Earth's northernmost zone
- AntarcticSouthern polar region
- GreenlandLargest island on Earth
- North PoleEarth's northern axis point
South Pole · polar regions · icefield · Svalbard · glaciated · high latitude
global warming
Rising planetary temperatures
- sea level riseIncreasing ocean surface height
- climate changePlanetary atmospheric transformation
- greenhouse gasesEmissions that trap heat
CO2 emissions · carbon footprint · Paris Agreement · IPCC · mitigation · adaptation · feedback loops · glacial retreat · thermal expansion · climate models
glacial retreat
Shrinking of ice masses
disintegration · collapse · breakup · warm currents · ablation · drainage
polar bear
Large white arctic mammal
- penguinFlightless aquatic southern bird
- sealAuthentication stamp or mark
- walrusTusked Arctic marine mammal
arctic fox · krill · arctic tern · snowy owl · narwhal · beluga · phytoplankton · algae · emperor penguin · breeding ground
ice-capsmagma
Molten rock underground
deserts · molten rock · hot springs · geothermal vents · fire
ice-capstropics
Warm equatorial region
equatorial regions · tropical zones · rainforests · jungles · equator