Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is a glacier?
What is a glacier?
A huge mass of ice and snow that moves slowly over land.
How do glaciers form?
How do glaciers form?
They form where more snow falls than melts each year.
How big are 'small' glaciers?
How big are 'small' glaciers?
About the size of a football field.
What are the two types of glaciers?
What are the two types of glaciers?
What are continental glaciers?
What are continental glaciers?
Where can continental glaciers be found?
Where can continental glaciers be found?
What percentage of ice in the world does Antarctica hold?
What percentage of ice in the world does Antarctica hold?
How thick can some continental glaciers get?
How thick can some continental glaciers get?
Most present-day glaciers are...
Most present-day glaciers are...
Where do valley glaciers form?
Where do valley glaciers form?
What do valley glaciers look like?
What do valley glaciers look like?
How do valley glaciers melt?
How do valley glaciers melt?
How does a glacier change the shape of the land?
How does a glacier change the shape of the land?
How do icebergs form?
How do icebergs form?
Icebergs are made of saltwater.
Icebergs are made of saltwater.
How many new icebergs form each year?
How many new icebergs form each year?
What percentage of an iceberg is above water?
What percentage of an iceberg is above water?
What percentage of an iceberg is underwater?
What percentage of an iceberg is underwater?
Why is it hard to determine the size of an iceberg from the deck of a ship?
Why is it hard to determine the size of an iceberg from the deck of a ship?
The underwater portion of icebergs is often __________ than the visible portion.
The underwater portion of icebergs is often __________ than the visible portion.
What are icebergs a threat to?
What are icebergs a threat to?
What does the International Ice Patrol do?
What does the International Ice Patrol do?
When was the International Ice Patrol created?
When was the International Ice Patrol created?
What is the life cycle of an iceberg?
What is the life cycle of an iceberg?
Where is most of the freshwater on Earth that is not frozen located?
Where is most of the freshwater on Earth that is not frozen located?
If you dig almost anywhere on Earth, you will eventually hit water.
If you dig almost anywhere on Earth, you will eventually hit water.
What is infiltration?
What is infiltration?
What are spaces between rocks and soil called?
What are spaces between rocks and soil called?
What does how easily water will sink into the ground depend on?
What does how easily water will sink into the ground depend on?
What does high porosity do?
What does high porosity do?
What does low porosity do?
What does low porosity do?
Materials that allow water to easily pass through are...
Materials that allow water to easily pass through are...
Are your clothes permeable?
Are your clothes permeable?
______ and _________ will have large pores between the grains, so they are very permeable.
______ and _________ will have large pores between the grains, so they are very permeable.
If something is impermeable, does it allow water to easily pass through?
If something is impermeable, does it allow water to easily pass through?
If something is impermeable, does it have a lot of pores or cracks?
If something is impermeable, does it have a lot of pores or cracks?
What happens when water reaches the impermeable layer?
What happens when water reaches the impermeable layer?
What are 3 examples of impermeable things?
What are 3 examples of impermeable things?
How is a saturated zone created?
How is a saturated zone created?
If you dig a hole into the saturated zone, what will happen?
If you dig a hole into the saturated zone, what will happen?
What does saturated mean?
What does saturated mean?
What is a water table?
What is a water table?
When it rains, what happens to the water table?
When it rains, what happens to the water table?
When you take water out through a well, what will happen to the water table?
When you take water out through a well, what will happen to the water table?
What will knowing the depth of the water table tell you?
What will knowing the depth of the water table tell you?
What will you find where the water table is above ground?
What will you find where the water table is above ground?
What is the unsaturated zone?
What is the unsaturated zone?
What does the permeable layer known as the unsaturated zone allow the water to do?
What does the permeable layer known as the unsaturated zone allow the water to do?
In the unsaturated zone, what do the pores contain?
In the unsaturated zone, what do the pores contain?
What is an aquifer?
What is an aquifer?
Are aquifers good places to dig wells?
Are aquifers good places to dig wells?
Does water in aquifers move?
Does water in aquifers move?
These range in size from small underground patches to an area covering several states.
These range in size from small underground patches to an area covering several states.
What is the name of the aquifer that lies beneath the plains of the Midwest?
What is the name of the aquifer that lies beneath the plains of the Midwest?
What is a well?
What is a well?
What is a dry well?
What is a dry well?
How can people obtain groundwater from an aquifer?
How can people obtain groundwater from an aquifer?
What is an artesian well?
What is an artesian well?
What happens to create an artesian well?
What happens to create an artesian well?
With an artesian well, do you still need to pump the water out?
With an artesian well, do you still need to pump the water out?
What is a spring?
What is a spring?
Where do springs usually occur?
Where do springs usually occur?
What is recharge?
What is recharge?
How do homes get water?
How do homes get water?
Is gravel permeable?
Is gravel permeable?
Is fine sand permeable?
Is fine sand permeable?
Is clay permeable?
Is clay permeable?
Is solid rock permeable?
Is solid rock permeable?
Study Notes
Glaciers
- Glaciers are massive ice and snow formations that move slowly over land.
- Formation occurs where annual snowfall exceeds melting, compressing snow into solid ice.
- "Small" glaciers can measure about the size of a football field.
- Two main types: Continental glaciers (large ice sheets) and Valley glaciers (found in mountain ranges).
Continental Glaciers
- Ice sheets that cover extensive land areas, found primarily in Antarctica and Greenland.
- Antarctica holds approximately 87% of the world's ice.
- Some continental glaciers can reach thicknesses up to 2 miles.
Valley Glaciers
- Most glaciers today are valley glaciers, which form in high, cold mountain valleys like the Alps, Rockies, and Himalayas.
- These glaciers appear as thick rivers of ice flowing down valleys and melt as they descend to warmer regions.
Icebergs
- Icebergs are formed when glaciers reach the sea, and large ice chunks calve and float away.
- They consist of freshwater since they originate from glaciers.
- Thousands of new icebergs are created annually.
- Only about 10% of an iceberg is visible above water, while 90% remains submerged.
Iceberg Challenges
- Determining iceberg size from a ship is difficult due to the extensive underwater portion being wider than the visible part.
- Icebergs pose hazards to ships and floating platforms; hence the International Ice Patrol was established after the Titanic disaster in 1912.
Groundwater
- Most of Earth's non-frozen freshwater is found underground, and digging almost anywhere usually intersects water.
- Infiltration is the process where precipitation trickles into the soil through pores between rocks.
- Porosity affects how easily water can sink into the ground, with high porosity allowing easier movement of water.
Saturated and Unsaturated Zones
- The saturated zone forms when water cannot penetrate further and fills spaces above an impermeable layer.
- The water table marks the top of the saturated zone, which rises with rain and lowers with well water extraction.
- The unsaturated zone, found above the water table, contains both air and water.
Aquifers
- Aquifers are underground rock layers capable of holding water and vary significantly in size.
- The Ogallala Aquifer lies beneath the Midwest, supplying water for drinking and agriculture.
- Wells are human-made holes that extend below the water table for groundwater extraction.
Types of Wells
- Artesian wells allow water to rise due to pressure, creating a flow without mechanical assistance.
- Springs occur when the water table is at ground level, causing water to naturally flow out.
Water Supply
- Homes receive water pumped from wells through a filtration and treatment process to ensure safety.
- Recharge refers to fresh water entering the aquifer from the surface.
Permeability of Materials
- Gravel and fine sand are permeable, allowing water to pass through easily.
- Clay and solid rock are impermeable, preventing water movement.
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Description
This quiz covers the fundamentals of glaciers, including their formation, types, and specific characteristics. Learn about continental and valley glaciers, as well as the formation of icebergs. Test your knowledge on these majestic ice formations and their significance in our environment.
