Types of Glaciers

What Are Glaciers?

Glaciers are enormous, slow-moving rivers of ice. They form when more and more snow falls each year and piles up. Over hundreds of years, the weight of the snow squeezes the snow at the bottom into solid ice. Gravity then pulls this ice downhill, making the glacier move very slowly.

The Two Main Types of Glaciers

There are two main types of glaciers. The first is the valley glacier, also called an alpine glacier. These glaciers form in mountain valleys and flow between tall peaks, like frozen rivers. You can find valley glaciers in places such as Alaska, the Alps, and the Himalayas.

The second type is the ice sheet, also known as a continental glacier. Ice sheets are huge blankets of ice that cover entire continents! They are so large they can even bury mountains underneath. Today, ice sheets are only found in Antarctica and Greenland.

How Do Glaciers Shape the Land?

Glaciers are powerful forces of nature. As they move, they carve out valleys, create lakes, and carry giant boulders for miles. Glaciers leave behind moraines, which are piles of rocks and dirt pushed along by the ice. They also create deep cracks called crevasses. When pieces of glacier break off into the ocean, they form icebergs.

Glaciers and Climate

Glaciers are found in cold places, including the polar regions and during the ice ages long ago. Today, many glaciers are melting faster than ever because Earth's climate is getting warmer.

Glaciers are like frozen rivers moving in super-slow motion—taking years to travel what water travels in minutes!

Interesting Fact: Some glacier ice is thousands of years old, and some glaciers move only a few inches each day!