What is a glacier?
A glacier forms when snow piles up and melts right after falling they become more dense and becomes packed tightly. When a glacier reaches the ocean, a big part of it breaks off it is know calving. The dense ice that survived a one year melt cycle is called firn. When ice grown thick enough, the firn grains fuse into a huge clump which is called glacial ice. Glaciers can begin to move on their own from their own weight. They provide people with many helpful resources. It can provide fertile soil for growing crops, fresh water and more. They are found on every continent except Australia.
Alpine Glaciers
Most alpine glaciers begin high up in the mountains in a bowl shape. A few types of Alpine glaciers are Piedmont glaciers Tidewater glacier and hanging glacier. Piedmont glaciers occurs when a glacier lengthens down a steep valley onto a somewhat flat plain. The shape of it is a bulblike lobe at the end of the glacier. Tidewater glaciers occur when a glacier flows through valleys and flows into the sea.
Continental Glaciers
They are a big mass of glacial ice much bigger than alpine glaciers. Continental glaciers mostly covers entire landmasses. The ice sheets that are covering Antarctica and Greenland are actually called continental glaciers.
Alpine Glaciers
Most alpine glaciers begin high up in the mountains in a bowl shape. A few types of Alpine glaciers are Piedmont glaciers Tidewater glacier and hanging glacier. Piedmont glaciers occurs when a glacier lengthens down a steep valley onto a somewhat flat plain. The shape of it is a bulblike lobe at the end of the glacier. Tidewater glaciers occur when a glacier flows through valleys and flows into the sea.
Continental Glaciers
They are a big mass of glacial ice much bigger than alpine glaciers. Continental glaciers mostly covers entire landmasses. The ice sheets that are covering Antarctica and Greenland are actually called continental glaciers.