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How Do Glaciers Store Water

Interactive passage with audio narration, comprehension questions, and printable PDF.

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Format: Interactive (Online), Printable (PDF)
Grades: 5678
Subjects: scienceela
Standards: MS-ESS2-4
Languages: English, Spanish

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What's included

Reading passage

Reading comprehension

Audio narration

With word word highlighting

Comprehension quiz

Auto-graded

Writing activity

Open-ended response

Glossary & flashcards

Vocabulary practice

Differentiated version

Adapted for varied levels

Spanish translation

Bilingual support

About this reader

This comprehensive middle school science reading passage explores how glaciers store water and their critical role in Earth's water systems. Students will learn that glaciers hold 69% of Earth's freshwater as ice, formed over centuries from compressed snow. The passage explains the glacier formation process and highlights real-world connections, including how glaciers feed major rivers like the Ganges, Indus, and Yangtze, supplying 1.6 billion people in Asia with water. Students will also examine evidence of glacier retreat, learning that Glacier National Park had 150 glaciers in 1850 but only 25 remain today due to climate warming. Aligned to NGSS standards MS-ESS2-4 and MS-ESS2.C, this audio-integrated passage includes vocabulary development, multiple-choice questions, writing activities, and graphic organizers to support diverse learners in understanding Earth's hydrosphere and human impacts on natural systems.

Written by Workybooks TeamPublished by Workybooks

Sample passage and quiz content

CONTENT PREVIEW

"Shrinking Glaciers and Growing Lakes 1987" by NASA Earth Observatory images by Joshua Stevens, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Adam Voiland. / Wikimedia Commons

Glaciers store water by holding it as ice for long periods of time. These massive bodies of ice contain 69% of all freshwater on Earth. Glaciers form over centuries when snow falls and does not melt completely during summer. Each winter, new snow layers pile on top of older snow. The weight of upper layers presses down on lower layers. This pressure turns snow into dense ice through a process called compaction.

Scientists explain that glacier formation requires specific conditions. Temperatures must stay cold enough to prevent complete melting. Evidence shows that snow transforms into ice through several stages. First, loose snow becomes granular ice called firn. Over decades, firn compresses further into solid glacial ice. The ice can reach depths of several hundred meters. Glaciers move slowly downhill due to gravity and the weight of accumulated ice. This movement is called glacial flow. As glaciers flow, they carry stored water from high elevations to lower areas.

Glaciers play a critical role in supplying freshwater to human populations. Major rivers like the Ganges, Indus, and Yangtze begin in glacier-fed mountain regions. These rivers provide water to approximately 1.6 billion people across Asia. During dry seasons, glacial meltwater becomes especially important for agriculture and drinking water. Glacier National Park in Montana demonstrates how climate affects these ice reserves. The park had 150 glaciers in 1850. Today, only 25 glaciers remain. Rising temperatures cause glaciers to lose ice faster than new snow can replace it. This process is called glacier retreat.

Understanding glacier water storage matters for Earth's future. Glaciers act as natural water towers that release water gradually. They help regulate river flow throughout the year. When glaciers shrink, the water supply for billions of people may decrease. Scientists monitor glacier changes to predict water availability. This research helps communities plan for climate-related water challenges. Glaciers connect mountain environments to distant ecosystems through the water cycle. Protecting these ice formations supports both natural systems and human societies.

Interesting Fact: If all glaciers and ice sheets melted, global sea levels would rise approximately 70 meters. This would flood most coastal cities around the world.

What percentage of Earth's freshwater do glaciers store?

69%50%85%25%

What is the process called when snow is pressed into dense ice?

Glacial flowCompactionGlacier retreatMelting

What is firn?

Water from melting glaciersThe movement of glaciers downhillGranular ice formed from compressed snowA type of river fed by glaciers

How many people in Asia depend on glacier-fed rivers for water?

500 million1 billion1.6 billion2.5 billion

Based on the passage, why is glacial meltwater especially important during dry seasons?

It creates new glaciersIt keeps rivers flowing when other water sources are lowIt prevents glacier retreatIt makes the water cycle stop

What evidence shows that climate change is affecting glaciers?

Glaciers are forming faster than beforeGlacier National Park lost 125 glaciers between 1850 and todaySnow no longer falls in mountain regionsAll glaciers have completely melted

How do glaciers help regulate river flow?

They stop rivers from flowingThey release water gradually throughout the yearThey only provide water in winterThey prevent snow from falling

If you wanted to apply what you learned about glacier formation to predict where new glaciers might form, which conditions would be most important?

Hot temperatures and low elevationCold temperatures that prevent complete snow melting and high elevationWarm ocean currents and sandy soilFrequent rainfall and flat terrain

True or False: Glaciers form in just a few years when snow accumulates.

TrueFalse

True or False: When glaciers shrink due to warming temperatures, the water supply for people downstream may decrease.

TrueFalse