GLACIERS…..terminology
ablation the process of wastage of snow or ice by melting, sublimation, and calving
alpine glacier a glacier found in mountains
arete ridge between two cirques
calving process of ice breaking off a glacier and falls into a body of water
cirque (cwm) bowl shaped depression formed by erosion, where a glacier starts
cirque lake (tarn) lake (though more like a pond) found in a cirque
continental glacier (ice sheet) a glacier that moves out from a central point in all directions
and covers most of a continent
crevasse a crack in a glacier extending as deep as 50 meters (165 ft)
cryoconite depression in a glacier formed when a rock on the surface is heated and melts the
surrounding snow
cwm another name for a cirque
drift any material carried and deposited by a glacier
dropstone a rock that was carried elsewhere by a glacier or iceberg and deposited when the
ice melts, the rock sinks to the bottom of the body of water and becomes part of a sedimentary
rock
drumlin a ramp shaped deposit of sediment formed by a glacier, glacier traveled up the steep
side and down the gradual side
end moraine deposit of sediment marking where a glacier started to retreat
erratic rock that was moved by a glacier and deposited on land and different in type from all
surrounding rocks.
esker deposit of sediment formed by a river that was once under a glacier, resembles the shape
of a river
firn (neve) snow that has survived one summer and has begun the transformation into ice
fjord flooded glacial valley, formed when sea level rose
glacier trough another name for a U-shaped valley
grooves deep striations
hanging valley valley that is suspended over a larger valley, formed by glaciers
horn mountain shape formed by three cirques
ice cap mass of ice that covers less that 50,000 square km
ice sheet mass of ice that covers more than 50,000 square km
ice shelf mass of ice that extends over water
kettle depression formed when an iceberg is left in the ground and melts, leaving a large hole
kettle pond pond formed when an iceberg is left in the ground and melts
lateral moraine sediment deposits on the sides of glaciers
medial moraine deposit of sediment formed when the lateral moraines of two glaciers meet
moraine any material pushed by a glacier
moulin steep hole in a glacier formed by running water in the summer, resembles a waterslide
mountain glacier another name for a valley/ alpine glacier
outwash plain the flat area at the end of a glacier where meltwater flows and deposits
sediment
plucking the process by which a glacier picks up rocks as it flows over the land
retreating (recession) describes a melting glacier
snow line the line above which snow accumulates
stratified drift sorted sediment deposited by a glacier in water
striations scratches in rock, shows direction of glacier
sun cup an ablation hollow that develops during intense sunshine
tarn another name for a cirque lake
terminal moraine the last end moraine, marks the farthest point a glacier reached
tidewater glacier a glacier that ends in the sea
till unsorted sediment deposited by a glacier on land
triangular facet a triangle shaped face that has been cut off by a passing, larger glacier
tributary glacier a glacier that flows into a larger glacier
truncated spur the top point of a triangular facet
U-shaped valley valley formed by a glacier, in the shape of a U
valley glacier another name for alpine/ mountain glacier
vatnajökul largest glacier in iceland, covers over 8% of the country