ice cap
Permanent polar covering
An ice cap is a dome-shaped mass of glacial ice covering a highland area, smaller than an ice sheet but still substantial—typically under 50,000 square kilometers.
The polar ice caps refer to the permanent ice covering Earth's polar regions: Climate change is shrinking the polar ice caps.
The term emphasizes permanence, distinguishing these formations from seasonal snow cover.
Earth's northernmost zone
- AntarcticaSouthernmost continental landmass
- GreenlandLargest island on Earth
- SvalbardNorwegian Arctic archipelago
- tundraFrigid treeless biome
permafrost · polar bears · penguins · Inuit · aurora borealis · midnight sun · krill · Nordic
Floating glacial fragment
- crevasseDeep glacial fissure
- moraineGlacier-deposited debris pile
- seracGlacial ice pinnacle
- firnYear-old compacting snow
calving · ablation · accumulation · icefall · cirque · outwash · tarn · glaciology
Rising planetary temperatures
- climate changePlanetary atmospheric transformation
- sea level riseIncreasing ocean surface height
- albedoSurface reflection coefficient
- greenhouse gasesEmissions that trap heat
carbon emissions · melting · thaw · thermal expansion · habitat loss · ecosystem · biodiversity · coral bleaching
Solidified by extreme cold
- frigidExtremely and intensely cold
- subzeroBelow the freezing point
- frostThin ice coating
- icicleHanging frozen water spike
freezing · hypothermia · frostbite · blizzard · arctic · wintry · bitter · permafrost
Area near geographic extremes
- plateauFlat highland area
- expanseUnbroken area of space
- landmassContinuous area of ground
- elevationHeight above reference point
continental · mountain peak · summit · terrain · topography · satellite imagery · cartography
Arctic
Earth's northernmost zone
- AntarcticaSouthernmost continental landmass
- GreenlandLargest island on Earth
- SvalbardNorwegian Arctic archipelago
tundra · permafrost · polar bears · penguins · Inuit · aurora borealis · midnight sun · krill · Nordic · igloo
iceberg
Floating glacial fragment
firn · calving · ablation · accumulation · icefall · cirque · outwash · tarn · glaciology · snowpack
global warming
Rising planetary temperatures
- climate changePlanetary atmospheric transformation
- sea level riseIncreasing ocean surface height
- albedoSurface reflection coefficient
greenhouse gases · carbon emissions · melting · thaw · thermal expansion · habitat loss · ecosystem · biodiversity · coral bleaching · permafrost thaw
frozen
Solidified by extreme cold
icicle · freezing · hypothermia · frostbite · blizzard · arctic · wintry · bitter · permafrost · snowfall
polar region
Area near geographic extremes
elevation · continental · mountain peak · summit · terrain · topography · satellite imagery · cartography
- arctic special regionsArctic Circle, North Pole, Arctic Ocean, Greenland, Svalbard
- GreenlandNuuk, tundra, fjords, glaciers, Inuit
- planetary featuresvolcano, mountain, crater, canyon, cliff
- spacespace, sun, moon, stars, star
- cold thingssnow, freezer, iceberg, frost, hail
- AntarcticaSouth Pole, Amundsen, Scott, penguins, glaciology
ice caplava field
Solidified volcanic rock terrain
magma chamber · thermal vent · hot spring · fire · inferno
ice capsea ice
Frozen ocean surface
seasonal ice · pack ice · ice floe · drift ice · meltwater
ice capdesert
To leave behind completely
Sahara · sand dunes · Death Valley · tropical rainforest · hot desert
ice, cap, capital, captain, iced, capsule, ices, glacial, capped