Browsing: Glacier

Glaciers are massive, persistent bodies of dense ice that are constantly moving under their own weight. They form where the accumulation of snow exceeds its melt over many years, often centuries. Glaciers are primarily found in polar regions like Antarctica and Greenland, but also in mountain ranges around the world, from the Rockies to the Himalayas. As glaciers flow, they shape the landscape through processes like erosion and deposition, creating features such as valleys, moraines, and fjords. Although they cover only about 10% of the world’s land surface, glaciers are vital to the global ecosystem. They store about 69% of the world’s freshwater and act as indicators of climate change, with their retreat providing some of the clearest evidence of global warming. The melting of glaciers has significant implications for sea level rise and freshwater availability, affecting both natural environments and human populations.