Glacier Formation and Movement

Glaciers form when snow accumulates over time and compresses, turning into ice.

The margin is the line that separates a glacier from the surrounding land.

A crevasse is a deep crack in a glacier.

An icefall is a steep slope on a glacier where ice breaks off and falls.

An iceberg is a large piece of ice that breaks off from a glacier and floats away.

Glaciers move by flowing, which is the process by which ice moves under its own weight.

Ablation is the process by which glaciers lose mass through melting, sublimation, and calving.

Calving is the process by which glaciers break off large pieces of ice.

A glacier is the area of land that is covered by a glacier.

An ice cap is a large area of land that is covered by ice, but is not a glacier.

An ice sheet is a very large area of land that is covered by ice, and is thicker than an ice cap.

A firn field is a field of snow that is located at the head of a glacier.

Abrasion is the process by which glaciers erode the land beneath them by scraping and grinding.

Plucking is the process by which glaciers pluck rocks from the land beneath them.

Polishing is the process by which glaciers polish the land beneath them.

Striation is the term for the scratches that are left on the land by glaciers.