EARTHSC 1105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Grand Canyon Supergroup, Geology Of The Rocky Mountains, Ocean Current
10 Sep 2017
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Document Summary
Outline for rocky mountain national park and glaciers. Glacier large, moving, long-lasting mass of ice and snow formed on land, which moves due to its own weight; a flowing mass of ice. There are two major types of glaciers: mountain or alpine glaciers (alpine) and continental ice sheets. Glaciers form at or above the snowline - the lower limit of perennial snow. Glaciers form not only at high latitudes, but also at high elevations, why can have equatorial glaciers. Glacial ice is not like ordinary ice, it is considered a special kind of metamorphic rock. It has undergone recrystallization because of the weight of the overlying snow and ice. Accumulation - additions of snow or ice to a glacier. Equilibrium line - line separating area of accumulation from area of ablation. Difference between accumulation and ablation is the glacier"s mass balance. If accumulation exceeds ablation the equilibrium line will move downslope and the glacier will advance.
