Glaciers Overview
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Questions and Answers

What is a glacier?

A huge mass of ice and snow that moves slowly over land.

How do glaciers form?

They form where more snow falls than melts each year.

How big are 'small' glaciers?

About the size of a football field.

What are the two types of glaciers?

<p>Continental Glacier</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are continental glaciers?

<p>Ice sheets that spread over a large area of land.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Where can continental glaciers be found?

<p>Antarctica and Greenland.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of ice in the world does Antarctica hold?

<p>87%</p> Signup and view all the answers

How thick can some continental glaciers get?

<p>About 2 miles.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Most present-day glaciers are...

<p>Valley glaciers</p> Signup and view all the answers

Where do valley glaciers form?

<p>In high, cold mountain valleys like the Alps, the Rockies, and the Himalayas.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do valley glaciers look like?

<p>Thick rivers of ice sliding down into a valley.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do valley glaciers melt?

<p>As they descend into warmer regions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does a glacier change the shape of the land?

<p>Glaciers move downhill due to gravity, scraping the ground and causing erosion.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do icebergs form?

<p>They form when a glacier reaches the sea coast and large chunks of ice calve off.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Icebergs are made of saltwater.

<p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

How many new icebergs form each year?

<p>Thousands.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of an iceberg is above water?

<p>10%</p> Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of an iceberg is underwater?

<p>90%</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why is it hard to determine the size of an iceberg from the deck of a ship?

<p>Because so much of the iceberg is underwater.</p> Signup and view all the answers

The underwater portion of icebergs is often __________ than the visible portion.

<p>wider</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are icebergs a threat to?

<p>Ships and floating platforms.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the International Ice Patrol do?

<p>Track icebergs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

When was the International Ice Patrol created?

<p>After the Titanic sank in 1912.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the life cycle of an iceberg?

<p>It snows, glacier forms, the glacier slides down, and a chunk breaks off.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Where is most of the freshwater on Earth that is not frozen located?

<p>Underground.</p> Signup and view all the answers

If you dig almost anywhere on Earth, you will eventually hit water.

<p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is infiltration?

<p>When water from precipitation trickles downward into the soil.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are spaces between rocks and soil called?

<p>Pores.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does how easily water will sink into the ground depend on?

<p>The size of the pores and whether the pores are connected.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does high porosity do?

<p>Allows water to pass through easily.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does low porosity do?

<p>Does not allow water to pass through easily.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Materials that allow water to easily pass through are...

<p>Permeable.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Are your clothes permeable?

<p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

______ and _________ will have large pores between the grains, so they are very permeable.

<p>Sand and gravel</p> Signup and view all the answers

If something is impermeable, does it allow water to easily pass through?

<p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

If something is impermeable, does it have a lot of pores or cracks?

<p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens when water reaches the impermeable layer?

<p>The water pools on top of it.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are 3 examples of impermeable things?

<p>Clay, granite, and umbrellas.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How is a saturated zone created?

<p>When water reaches an impermeable layer and cannot soak deeper.</p> Signup and view all the answers

If you dig a hole into the saturated zone, what will happen?

<p>The hole will start to fill with water.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does saturated mean?

<p>To soak or fill completely.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a water table?

<p>The top of a saturated zone.</p> Signup and view all the answers

When it rains, what happens to the water table?

<p>It gets higher.</p> Signup and view all the answers

When you take water out through a well, what will happen to the water table?

<p>It lowers.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What will knowing the depth of the water table tell you?

<p>How far down you must dig to find water.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What will you find where the water table is above ground?

<p>Streams, ponds, and lakes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the unsaturated zone?

<p>The area above the water table.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the permeable layer known as the unsaturated zone allow the water to do?

<p>Infiltrate down to the water table.</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the unsaturated zone, what do the pores contain?

<p>Air and water.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is an aquifer?

<p>An underground layer of rock that holds water.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Are aquifers good places to dig wells?

<p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

Does water in aquifers move?

<p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

These range in size from small underground patches to an area covering several states.

<p>Aquifers</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the aquifer that lies beneath the plains of the Midwest?

<p>The Ogallala Aquifer.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a well?

<p>A human-made hole that extends down past the water table.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a dry well?

<p>When the well does not reach below the water table.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How can people obtain groundwater from an aquifer?

<p>By drilling a well below the water table.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is an artesian well?

<p>A well in which water rises because of pressure within the aquifer.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens to create an artesian well?

<p>Groundwater gets trapped between two impermeable layers and is under pressure.</p> Signup and view all the answers

With an artesian well, do you still need to pump the water out?

<p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a spring?

<p>If the water table level is at ground level, water may flow out of the ground.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Where do springs usually occur?

<p>On sides of hills or in low areas.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is recharge?

<p>New water that enters the aquifer from the surface.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do homes get water?

<p>Groundwater is pumped out of a well, filtered, treated, and transported.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Is gravel permeable?

<p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

Is fine sand permeable?

<p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

Is clay permeable?

<p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

Is solid rock permeable?

<p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

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.

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