INT D280 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Cirque Glacier, Ablation Zone, Accumulation Zone

• School: University of Alberta
• Department: Interdisciplinary Undergraduate and Graduate Courses
• Course: INT D280
• Professor: Zac Robinson

Document Summary

Icy world: elevation of snow line varies: lower at higher latitudes, where temperatures are generally colder. Lower in coastal areas where there is generally more snowfall: at higher elevation accumulation dominates. In the accumulation zone there is more accumulation: there"s a point where accumulation equals ablation - equilibrium line. End of season: ablation zone even in the spring you see significant snow loss, terminus : lower elevation limit below which no glacier ice remains. Retreat and advance of a glacier: each glacier sits in its own habitat. Some are advancing a few percent, most are retreating 95%: cirque glacier : like an armchair mountain. The west washmawapata glacier in bc is 1 km wide and 1 km long and 200 meters deep: valley glacier flow down hill by the influence of gravity. Leaves u-shaped valleys: crevasses : crack in glacier ice that form in areas of high stress. Flow is a bit faster, like over a cliff or steeper.