The Cryosphere and Glaciers Quiz

The Cryosphere

• Refers to the portion of the Earth's system that consists of frozen water

Glaciers

• A body of ice on land that is in motion

Glacier vs. Ice Sheets

• Glaciers are found across the world, particularly in cold, mountainous regions
• Ice sheets are only found in Greenland and Antarctica
• Ice sheets are massive (>50,000 km2)
• Glaciers are smaller bodies of moving ice

Glacier Formation

• Snow falls and accumulates over time
• Snow becomes denser and compacts into firn
• Firn turns into glacial ice due to pressure

Glacial Erosion

• Glacial erosion is the wearing away of land by glaciers
• Glaciers can erode rock and carve valleys
• Glacial erosion forms a variety of landforms, including:
  • Glacial troughs
  • Truncated spurs
  • Hanging valleys
  • Cirques
  • Horns
  • Arêtes
  • Rock steps

Glacial Deposition

• Glaciers deposit sediment as they melt
• These deposits form a variety of landforms, including:
  • Moraines
  • Drumlins
  • Eskers
  • Kames
  • Kettle lakes

Mountain Glaciers

• Tarns are lakes that form inside cirques.
• Fjords are glacial troughs that are filled with seawater.
• Rock flour is a fine-grained sediment that is carried by glaciers and can be moved by wind and water.

Global Distribution of Mountain Glaciers

• Mountain glaciers are found in high latitudes and high altitudes
• Ideal conditions for glacier formation include:
  • High latitude, meaning cold regions
  • High elevation, meaning cold temperatures
  • Low summer temperatures, which limits melting
  • Some snowfall, which increases accumulation

Formation of Glacial Landforms

• Glacial Troughs - These are U-shaped valleys carved by glaciers. They are much straighter and less winding than river valleys.
• Truncated Spurs - These are ridges that descend towards a valley from a higher elevation. They are eroded by glaciers, creating a distinct, truncated appearance.
• Drumlins - These are streamlined, elongated hills shaped by glaciers. They form when sediment is partially eroded and compressed under glacial ice.
• Eskers - These are long, winding ridges of sand and gravel that form from meltwater flowing through tunnels beneath a glacier.
• Moraines - These are ridges of unsorted rock debris deposited by a glacier, such as a lateral moraine or terminal moraine.
• Kames - These are small, conical hills of sediment that form when meltwater enters a vertical hole in a glacier, depositing sediment as the water flows.
• Kettle Lakes - These are depressions in the land that form when a block of ice is left behind by a melting glacier, creating a pit that fills with water.