Discovering Glaciers

The Life Cycle of a Glacier

1. Go to: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/vinson/glac-flash.html and draw a flow chart

that depicts the life cycle of a glacier. The idea here is to pick out the key things that
happen in the process. Be brief but accurate! (3 marks)

2. Go to: http://highered.mcgraw-
hill.com/sites/0072402466/student_view0/chapter12/animations_and_movies.html#
a. In the first animation, describe the impact of the growing glacier.
b. From the 2nd animation, define what the zones of ablation and accumulation
are. What do you think the difference is between snow, firn and glacier ice? (Google
these terms and see if you were right).
c. In the 3rd animation, what similarities to the flow of a river does the glacier
have? What creates a “rigid zone” vs. a “zone of plastic flow”?
d. From the 4th animation, what creates a crevasse in the ice flow?

3. How does an alpine glacier reshape a mountain valley? Go to:

http://www.nps.gov/olym/uv.htm

4. Go to the Flashcards and test your understanding of the above questions. Plus, make
note of any new understandings that these present. (ie. Arêtes, alpine v. continental
glaciers, cirques, plucking etc.!!) Don’t leave any out!!

5. Finally, go to http://nrmsc.usgs.gov/repeatphoto/ and choose 3 examples to cut & paste

into a document. Then, explain from the information presented in the website what the
repeat photos are showing and any explanations that could possibly account for this.