Glaciers

A cirque is a glacial landform that resembles an armchair. It is a bowl-shaped hollow with steep sides formed at the head of a glacier where ice erosion and plucking have occurred.

Glaciers begin to melt due to increasing temperatures, either from natural climate variability or human-induced global warming. When temperatures rise, the ice in glaciers starts to melt, leading to the retreat and thinning of the glacier. Other factors, such as changes in precipitation patterns or albedo feedback, can also contribute to glacier melting.

A melting glacier gets smaller, but a growing glacier gets bigger.

Glaciers in the northeast region of the United States carved out valleys, formed lakes, and deposited large amounts of sediment. The movement of glaciers also influenced the shape and elevation of mountains in the region. Additionally, glaciers left behind a variety of landforms, such as drumlins and moraines, which continue to shape the landscape today.

Where till is dropped along the edge of a glacier, it forms a ridge known as a moraine. This ridge is made up of a mixture of rocks, sediment, and debris that have been carried by the glacier. There are different types of moraines depending on where they are located in relation to the glacier.

The Great Lakes in North America, including Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario, were formed by glacial erosion during the last Ice Age. These lowlands were carved out by the movement of glaciers, creating the wide and deep basins that now hold the Great Lakes.

Glaciers are not simple things to measure, and you really can't make generalizations about all glaciers in the world.

We tend to speak of "mass balance" when it comes to glaciers, because almost all glaciers both add mass through snowfall during much of the year, and they lose mass during the melt season in summer as the ice melts into water and drains off. It isn't always easy to determine whether a glacier is in net gain or net mass loss, but we have many methods of measuring, including many field methods as well as several clever types of remote sensing from the air and from satellites in space.

This is compounded by the complicated dynamics of glacier movement. Some glaciers have been found to be "surging" glaciers, meaning they may advance at incredibly fast rates (kilometers per year) before almost stopping entirely, and this works in cycles. You can see how it would then be difficult to get an average rate of melt. Also, there are both marine-terminating glaciers as well as those only on land, and their behavior depends on different factors.

In some places, mostly Scandinavia, glaciers are adding mass due to weather patterns that have shifted, for whatever reason (temporarily or permanently - probably the former), in the last decade or two. In most other places, they are losing mass. A new study found about 70% of Himalayan glaciers are losing mass, so even in one region some are gaining and some are losing. It depends on a lot of different factors, certainly not just temperature.

I suppose the question still hasn't been answered. There are numbers out there as far as volume loss and sea level rise per year, per decade, etc., but there is still considerable uncertainty...I don't think there's a point in repeating them. There is not uncertainty, however, in that we know that the majority, likely the great majority, are melting more than they're gaining. That is where I will leave it.

Yes, glaciers can be powerful in terms of shaping and reshaping landscapes through processes like erosion and deposition. Glaciers can carve out valleys, move massive boulders, and leave behind distinctive landforms as they advance and retreat.

Advancing glaciers are glaciers that are moving forward and expanding, while retreating glaciers are glaciers that are melting and shrinking. Stationary glaciers are glaciers that are not currently advancing or retreating, maintaining a relatively stable position.

One type of Alpine glacier is a cirque glacier, which forms in a bowl-shaped depression on the side of a mountain. These glaciers are typically small and may be found at the head of a valley or on a mountainside.

The Upsala Glacier in Argentina is sometimes referred to as an "armchair glacier" due to its unique shape, resembling the shape of an armchair.

A glacier can continue eroding and transporting rock while retreating because it still has the ability to pluck and scour the landscape as it moves. Additionally, meltwater from the glacier can also carry and transport sediment, even as the glacier itself is retreating. The erosional processes associated with glaciers can be powerful and persistent, contributing to landscape modification even during retreat.

The glacier that has frozen to the bedrock is called a "frozen glacier." When a glacier becomes warm enough to melt at its base, the meltwater effectively 'glues' the glacier to the underlying bedrock. This process allows the glacier to adhere strongly to the bedrock and can help stabilize it.

Glaciers can shape the landscape through processes like erosion, transportation, and deposition of sediment. They can carve out valleys, create U-shaped valleys, and leave behind moraines. Glaciers also influence sea levels by locking up water as ice, affecting global climate patterns.

The movement of glaciers in the Nordic region sculpted the landscape, creating fjords, valleys, and lakes. It also helped shape the distribution of flora and fauna by influencing the development of unique ecosystems adapted to cold and harsh conditions. Additionally, the melting of glaciers contributed to the post-glacial rebound, causing the land to rise in some areas and affecting sea levels.

These ridges are called lateral moraines. They are formed by the debris and sediment that accumulates along the edges of the glacier as it moves downhill. When the glacier melts, it deposits this material, creating distinct ridges along the sides of the valley.

Glaciers can transport rocks, sediment, and debris as they move. They can deposit these materials when they melt, creating landforms like moraines, drumlins, and eskers. The movement of these objects can also help shape the landscape as the glacier erodes and reshapes the land.

A tidewater glacier is a glacier that flows down into the ocean or a body of water. These glaciers calve, or release icebergs, into the water, causing a dynamic interaction between the glacier and the ocean.

Glaciers wear away land through a process called erosion, which involves the movement of ice carrying rocks and sediments that scrape and grind against the ground below. As glaciers advance, retreat, and flow over the landscape, they create valleys, fjords, and other landforms by eroding and reshaping the terrain over long periods of time. This process of glacial erosion is known for its ability to carve out deep valleys and shape the land into distinctive features.

Evidence of the natural cycle can be seen in the changing seasons, migration patterns of animals, and the life cycles of plants. These patterns demonstrate the interconnectedness and balance within nature, showcasing how different elements depend on one another for survival and growth. Monitoring these changes can provide valuable insights into the health of ecosystems.

Valley glaciers are not associated with being found on the coastal regions. They are typically found in mountainous areas and their movement is influenced by gravity and topography.

Meltwater streams formed by melting ice when a valley glacier stops advancing are called proglacial streams. These streams are commonly found at the terminus of a glacier where melting ice produces large volumes of water that flow down the valley.

Glaciers that create cirques on the sides of mountains are called cirque glaciers. These glaciers form in bowl-shaped depressions on the slopes of mountains and are responsible for eroding and shaping the characteristic amphitheater-like features known as cirques. Examples of cirque glaciers can be found in mountain ranges around the world, such as the Alps, Andes, and Himalayas.