Glaciers

An ice that breaks off a glacier and floats away is called an iceberg.

Mississippi's climate is too warm for glaciers to form and persist. Glaciers require very cold temperatures and consistent snow accumulation, which is not typically found in Mississippi due to its subtropical climate. Additionally, the state's low elevation and lack of suitable topography also contribute to the absence of glaciers.

1. 43° 27′ 52″ S, 170° 1′ 4″ E
2. -43.464444, 170.017778

When glaciers and sea ice melt, they reduce the Earth's albedo (reflectivity), causing more sunlight to be absorbed rather than reflected back to space. This leads to increased warming and further melting of glaciers and sea ice. Additionally, as ice melts, it exposes darker surfaces underneath (like water or land), which absorb more heat and perpetuate the melting cycle.

A tarn is a small, steep-banked mountain lake, formed when a glacier advancing down a slope scoops material out of the ground in a "cirque" at the base of the slope. (Essentially, it continues downward into the ground before moving horizontally again.) When the glacier melts, the depression can fill with water, and is refilled by melting snow unless it becomes filled by silt.

Glaciers erode by abrasion when they drag rocks and sediments along their base and sides, creating a sandpaper effect. This process occurs as the glacier moves, grinding, scratching, and smoothing the underlying bedrock and carving out deep valleys. The debris carried by the glacier further enhances the abrasion process as it scrapes against the surface.

A glacier deposits a mixture of rocks, sand, silt, and clay called glacial till. This sediment is unsorted and unstratified, with a wide range of particle sizes from boulders to clay particles. Glacial till is deposited as the glacier retreats and melts, creating landforms like moraines and drumlins.

Different glaciers are behaving differently. Today, some are gaining mass (ice), while most are losing it. At what point this became the case globally, it is difficult to say. I would guess 50-100 years ago the majority of worldwide glaciers were in net mass loss. Remember though that it is not just broad climatological forces that control glacial melt.

While glaciers would move more earth, free flowing water is more of a constant, moving in places where glaciers do not form (i.e. Underground caverns and equatorial latitudes). Glaciers tend to displace landscape to accommodate their mass, where water actually carves landscape until it's source is cut off. Historically, water has eroded more features (the grand canyon) than has glaciers.

The term used to describe the movement of a glacier around small obstacles at its base is called "plucking." This process involves the glacier lifting and carrying rocks and debris as it flows over and around obstacles.

Yes, glaciers contain the largest percentage of fresh water on Earth, with around 69% of the freshwater stored in glaciers. This frozen water is vital for maintaining freshwater availability in rivers and lakes.

The last glaciers retreated from Michigan approximately 10,000 years ago at the end of the last glacial period.

India wasn't always near the equator. Infancy India was its own continent before crashing into Asia, creating the Hymilayas, home of the tallest mountains. But before India collided with Asia, it was very close to the south pole, which is cold. And the presence of glaciers is still there today. The actual glaciers melted away, but the path they left behind is still there, and that is what scientists are looking at.

The term "crevasses" best describes open fissures in the brittle surface ice of a glacier. These deep cracks are commonly found on glaciers and can pose dangers to hikers and climbers.

When a glacier stands still, the ice continues to deform under its own weight due to gravity. This slow movement, called glacial flow, can cause the ice to thicken and flow downstream. Over time, the ice can also melt from the surface and sublimate into the air.

Continental glaciers cover Antarctica and most of Greenland because these are the coldest places on Earth, with temperatures that allow snow to accumulate and not melt. Over time, the accumulation of snow compacts into ice, forming massive ice sheets that spread across the land.

Ice in a glacier is considered a mineral because it has a crystalline structure formed by a naturally occurring inorganic substance (water) under specific conditions. In contrast, water in a river does not have a fixed crystalline structure or specific conditions for its formation, so it does not meet the criteria to be classified as a mineral.

Malasprina and Athabasca were two glaciers that swept over North America. They carved the Great Lakes.

1. Why did the glacier break up with the mountains?

• It just couldn't handle the cold shoulder anymore!

2. What did the snowman say to the glacier?

• "Oh, ice to meet you!"

3. Why did the glacier go to therapy?

• It had trouble letting things go!

When materials are bulldozed at the front of a glacier, they form a ridge-like feature called a moraine. Moraines are composed of a mixture of rock, sediment, and debris that were pushed and carried by the glacier as it moved forward.

Yes, glaciers are major landforms. They are large masses of ice that can shape and sculpt the surrounding landscape through processes like erosion and deposition. Glaciers play a significant role in shaping the Earth's surface over long periods of time.

Glaciers are crucial sources of water for people and crops. A melting glacier can at first increase stream flow, but eventually the flow will decrease. When flows in these rivers begin to decline, the region's farmers could face a crisis.

The Taku Glacier in Alaska is constructive because it helps to form new rivers and promotes the state's tourism industry. It can be destructive because if too big a piece calves it can destroy habitat and buildings.

The Beardmore Glacier is important because it provides access to the interior of Antarctica, allowing for scientific research and exploration of the continent. It is also notable for its historical significance as part of the route used by Roald Amundsen during his successful journey to the South Pole in 1911. Additionally, the glacier serves as a key route for traversing the Transantarctic Mountains.

Glaciers are difficult to access and are typically located in remote areas, which makes them impractical as a source of fresh water for human use. Additionally, the process of harvesting glacier ice could have environmental impacts on the delicate ecosystem of the glacier and surrounding areas. Finally, there are more efficient and sustainable methods for obtaining fresh water, such as desalination and water treatment plants.