Glaciation

Terms to learn are in BOLD in the outline below:

 

Topic outline:

1. Occurrence of glaciation
2. Types of glaciers
   1. continental ice sheets
   2. valley glaciers
3. Glacial formation  - firn
4. Movement
   1. glacial flow
   2. glacial advance
      1. zone of accumulation
      2. zone of ablation
      3. glacial budget
5. Erosional features - U-shaped valley
   1. valley glaciers - arete, horn, cirque, hanging valley
6. Depositional features
   1. Glacial till versus Stratified glacial drift
   2. ice sheets - terminal, ground, and recessional moraines, eskers, kames, drumlins
   3. valley glaciers - lateral moraines, medial moraines
7. Effects of glaciation - sea level change

 

Interesting places to visit:

Good starting place for general info: http://nsidc.org/glaciers/

 

Lots of great info and photos: http://www.glacier.rice.edu/land/5_tableofcontents.html

 

Virtual geology tours of glaciers: http://www.aqd.nps.gov/grd/tour/glaciers.htm

 

When you are finished with this topic, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1. What areas are currently covered with continental glaciers?
2. How is glacial ice formed?
3. What is the difference between a valley glacier and a continental glacier?
4. What causes a glacier to advance?
5. By what means does a glacier erode material?
6. What are some depositional landforms of glaciers?  Some erosional landforms? How are they formed?
7. What are some of the direct and indirect effects of glaciation?