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A glacier that fills a valley is called a valley glacier, or alternatively, an alpine glacier or mountain glacier. [14] A large body of glacial ice astride a mountain, mountain range, or volcano is termed an ice cap or ice field. [15] Ice caps have an area less than 50,000 km 2 (19,000 sq mi) by definition.
Glacier morphology, or the form a glacier takes, is influenced by temperature, precipitation, topography, and other factors. [1] The goal of glacial morphology is to gain a better understanding of glaciated landscapes and the way they are shaped. [ 2 ]
Glacial drift is a general term for the coarsely graded and extremely heterogeneous sediments of glacial origin. Glacial till is that part of glacial drift which was deposited directly by the glacier. tillite A type of sedimentary rock derived from glacial till which has been indurated or lithified by subsequent burial into solid rock. titanite
Ice streams are a type of glacier [5] and many of them have "glacier" in their name, e.g. Pine Island Glacier. Ice shelves are listed separately in the List of Antarctic ice shelves. For the purposes of these lists, the Antarctic is defined as any latitude further south than 60° (the continental limit according to the Antarctic Treaty System). [6]
Representation of glaciers on a topographic map The Taschachferner glacier in the Ötztal Alps in Austria. The mountain to the left is the Wildspitze (3.768 m), second highest in Austria. To the right is an area with open crevasses where the glacier flows over a kind of large cliff. [11] Ice sheets and glaciers are flowing ice masses that rest ...
Perhaps the most conspicuous consequence of glacier flow, icefalls occur where the glacier bed steepens and/or narrows. Most glacier ice flows at speeds of a few hundred metres per year or less. However, the flow of ice in an icefall may be measured in kilometres per year. Such rapid flow cannot be accommodated by plastic deformation of the ice.
Areas of study within glaciology include glacial history and the reconstruction of past glaciation. A glaciologist is a person who studies glaciers. A glacial geologist studies glacial deposits and glacial erosive features on the landscape. Glaciology and glacial geology are key areas of polar research.
Fox Glacier, New Zealand. A serac (/ s ɛ ˈ r æ k ˌ ˈ s ɛ r æ k /) (from Swiss French sérac) is a block or column of glacial ice, often formed by intersecting crevasses on a glacier. Commonly house-sized or larger, they are dangerous to mountaineers, since they may topple with little warning. Even when stabilized by persistent cold ...