GPHY 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 26: Deglaciation, Sea Ice, Basal Sliding

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Geography
• Course: GPHY 102
• Professor: Ryan K Danby

Document Summary

Glacier types: pattern of glacier movement varies depending on quantity of ice and terrain environment, variation best understood by considering two basic types of glaciers: Icefield is a term used for ice occupying large expanses of mountain terrain: valley glaciers flow out of icefields, smaller glaciers may form in cirques, referred to as cirque glaciers. Glacier flow: movement occurs in response to gravity, tends to be highest near equilibrium line. Internal deformation generated by mass of ice in zone of accumulation, ice is colder and more rigid. In zone of ablation, ice is thinner: flow also varies vertically within ice. When a glacier is receding, ablation dominates and results in the appearance of retreat. Glacial landforms: erosion, transportation and deposition and the creation of landforms. Initial (pre-glacial) landscape modified by weathering, mass wasting, and fluvial processes. U-shaped valley cross sectional profile: hanging valleys occur where smaller glaciers once merged with larger.