Exam 14: Glaciers and Glaciation

From a human perspective, what climatic effect of the Little Ice Age had the greatest impact?

The presence of ____________________ in the upper 40 m or so of a glacier indicates that this portion behaves not as a plastic, but as a(n)____________________ solid.

What happens to ice movement within a glacier when the glacier is retreating?

The three stages involved in the formation of glacial ice are, in order, ____, ____, and ____.

Why do scientists study glaciers to better understand climate change? What do studies of glaciers contribute to our understanding of current climate trends?

A glaciers budget is balanced when ____.

The most important process by which glaciers move is ____.

Which type of glacial deposit was formed by running water?

Basal slip becomes a more important means of glacier movement in warmer months when more meltwater collects at a glacier's base.

Glaciers are geologically important because they erode, transport, and deposit so much material.

Which is the only continent that does not presently have glaciers?

Glacial till is ____.

Medial moraines demarcate the various tributaries of a glacier and form when two end moraines merge.

If wastage is greater than accumulation, a glacier is said to be ____.

Name four ways wastage occurs in glaciers. Where on the glacier do each of these processes occur?

A glacial landform produced primarily by plucking rocks on the downstream side and smoothing by the glacier on the upstream side is called a(n)____.

Compare and contrast valley and continental glaciers.

End moraines continue to grow as long as the ice front remains stationary.

An ice mass of compacted and recrystallized snow that flows under its own weight on land is called a(n)____________________.

Ice Ages ____.