Glaciers

periods in which melting and evaporation exceed
the amount of snowfall, glaciers will retreat rather

than progress. While glaciers rely heavily on
snowfall, other climactic conditions including
freezing rain, avalanches, and wind, contribute to
their growth. One year of below average
precipitation can stunt the growth of a glacier
tremendously. With the rare exception of surging
glaciers, a common glacier flows about 10 inches
Glaciers per day in the summer and 5 inches per day in the
winter. The fastest glacial surge on record
occurred in 1953, when the Kutiah Glacier in
A
Pakistan grew more than 12 kilometers in three
Besides the earth’s oceans, glacier ice is the
months.
largest source of water on earth. A glacier is a
massive stream or sheet of ice that moves
C
underneath itself under the influence of gravity.
The weight and pressure of ice accumulation
Some glaciers travel down mountains or valleys,
causes glacier movement. Glaciers move out from
while others spread across a large expanse of land.
under themselves, via plastic deformation and
Heavily glaciated regions such as Greenland and
basal slippage. First, the internal flow of ice
Antarctica are called continental glaciers. These
crystals begins to spread outward and downward
two ice sheets encompass more than 95 percent of
from the thickened snow pack also known as the
the earth’s glacial ice. The Greenland ice sheet is
zone of accumulation. Next, the ice along the
almost 10,000 feet thick in some areas, and the
ground surface begins to slip in the same
weight of this glacier is so heavy that much of the
direction. Seasonal thawing at the base of the
region has been depressed below sea level.
glacier helps to facilitate this slippage. The middle
Smaller glaciers that occur at higher elevations
of a glacier moves faster than the sides and bottom
are called alpine or valley glaciers. Another way
because there is no rock to cause friction. The
of classifying glaciers is in terms of their internal
upper part of a glacier rides on the ice below. As
temperature. In temperate glaciers, the ice within
a glacier moves it carves out a U-shaped valley
the glacier is near its melting point. Polar glaciers,
similar to a riverbed, but with much steeper walls
in contrast, always maintain temperatures far
and a flatter bottom.
below melting.
D
B
Besides the extraordinary rivers of ice, glacial
The majority of the earth’s glaciers are located
erosion creates other unique physical features in
near the poles, though glaciers exist on all
the landscape such as horns, fjords, hanging
continents, including Africa and Oceania. The
valleys, and cirques. Most of these landforms do
reason glaciers are generally formed in high
not become visible until after a glacier has
alpine regions is that they require cold
receded. Many are created by moraines, which
temperatures throughout the year. In these areas
occur at the sides and front of a glacier. Moraines
where there is little opportunity for summer
are formed when material is picked up along the
ablation (loss of mass), snow changes to
way and deposited in a new location. When many
compacted fim and then crystallized ice. During
alpine glaciers occur on the same mountain, these
moraines can create a horn. The Matterhorn, in the 3. Paragraph C
Swiss Alps is one of the most famous horns.
Fjords, which are very common in Norway, are 4. Paragraph D
coastal valleys that fill with ocean water during a
glacial retreat. Hanging valleys occur when two 5. Paragraph E
or more glacial valleys intersect at varying
elevations. It is common for waterfalls to connect List of Headings
the higher and lower hanging valleys, such as in
Vosemite National Park. A cirque is a large i Glacial Continents
bowlshaped valley that forms at the front of a ii Formation and Growth of Glaciers
glacier. Cirques often have a lip on their down iii Glacial Movement
slope that is deep enough to hold small lakes when iv Glaciers in the Last Ice Age
the ice melts away. v Glaciers Through the Years
vi Types of Glaciers
E vii Glacial Effects on Landscape
Glacier movement and shape shifting typically viii Glaciers in National Parks
occur over hundreds of years. While presently
about 10 percent of the earth’s land is covered Questions 6-10
with glaciers, it is believed that during the last Ice
Age glaciers covered approximately 32 percent of Do the following statements agree with the
the earth’s surface. In the past century, most information in Passage 1 ? in boxes 6-10 on your
glaciers have been retreating rather than flowing Answer Sheet, write
forward. It is unknown whether this glacial
activity is due to human impact or natural causes, TRUE if the statement is true according to the
but by studying glacier movement, and comparing passage.
climate and agricultural profiles over hundreds of FALSE if the statement contradicts the passage.
years, glaciologists can begin to understand NOT GIVEN if there is no information about
environmental issues such as global warming. this in the passage.
Questions 1-5 6. Glaciers exist only near the north and south
poles.
Reading Passage 1206 has five paragraphs, A-E. 7. Glaciers are formed by a combination of snow
Choose the most suitable heading for each and other weather conditions.
paragraph from the list of headings below. 8. Glaciers normally move at a rate of about 5 to
10 inches a day.
Write the appropriate numbers (i-viii) on your 9. All parts of the glacier move at the same speed.
Answer Sheet 10. During the last Ice Age, average temperatures
were much lower than they are now.
There are more headings than paragraphs, so you
will not use them all. Questions 11-15
1. Paragraph A Match each definition below with the term it

defines. Write the letter of the term, A-H, on your
2. Paragraph B Answer Sheet
There are more terms than definitions, so you will
not use them all.
11. a glacier formed on a mountain
12. a glacier with temperatures well below
freezing
13. a glacier that moves very quickly
14. a glacial valley formed near the ocean
15. a glacial valley that looks like a bowl
Terms
A. fjord
B. alpine glacier
C. horn
D. polar glacier
E. temperate glacier
F. hanging valley
G. cirque
H. surging glacier
Answer:
1. vi
2. ii
3. iii
4. vii
5. v
6. FALSE
7. TRUE
8. TRUE
9. FALSE
10. NOT GIVEN
11. B
12. D
13. H
14. A
15. G

Glaciers

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Glaciers

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periods in which melting and evaporation exceed

the amount of snowfall, glaciers will retreat rather

1. Paragraph A Match each definition below with the term it

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