Definition
Accumulated ice mass that slowly creeps on the surface.
Description
On Earth a glacier is “a perennial mass of ice, and possibly firn and snow, originating on the land surface by the recrystallization of snow or other forms of solid precipitation and showing evidence of past or present flow” (Cogley et al. 2011).
Processes and Control
A glacier erodes the underlying surface by abrasion, scouring, plucking, ice thrusting, and spalling. Erosion efficiency is dependent on conditions at the glacier base, including ice velocity and pressure, thermal conditions, amount of water, and underlying surface characteristics. Eroded materials are mostly incorporated in the glacier and deposited later as till, glacial erratics or dropstones, or outwash sediments.
Subtypes
For a detailed classification system, refer to Rau et al. (2005).
Subtypes Based on Relief and Extent
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Large plateau-like glaciers:
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Ice sheet (also called continental glacier): ice covering that obscures the...
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Korteniemi, J., Nagy, B. (2014). Glacier. In: Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_472-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_472-1
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