Students study mountain glaciers, continental glaciers and ice sheets.

Chapter List

Introduction

Glaciers and ice sheets are part of the earth's cryosphere.

Glaciers Past and Present

In the 19th century Louis Agassiz studying the Ice Age discovered glaciers, Sea ice e, mountain glaciers, permafrost and continental glaciation, were all changed over time and comprise a great force in nature.

Glacier Dynamics

Some of the more important glacier features and phenomena of glacier dynamics are plucking, glacier calving, and can be seen in mountain glaciers, ice sheets, and what was left behind by the Great Wisconsin Ice Sheet that melted at the end of the last Ice Age.

Mountain Glacier Formations

Mountain glaciers produce interesting phenomena such as cirques, valley glaciers, glacial till, fjords, hanging valleys, ice fields and terminal moraines.

Continental Glacier Formations

Continental glaciers. Such as the Laurentide Ice Sheet, produce glacial striations, drumlins and drumlin fields, outwash plains, moraines, including recessional moraines and terminal moraines, eskers, kames and kettle lakes

Glaciers and Climate Change

In this time of climate change, or global warming, glaciers have become an important scientific challenge.