GEOG 1400 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Laurentide Ice Sheet, Ice, Geomorphology
Document Summary
History: quaternary period period geomorphology is most concerned with, subdivided into two epochs: Glacier mass budget = input (accumulation) - output (ablation) Input = precipitation: outputs = melting, evaporation, sublimation, calving (breaking of chunks of ice into lakes/oceans) If overall, inputs > outputs net accumulation increase in mass/growth of glacier. If overall, inputs < outputs net ablation decrease in mass/shrinking of glacier. Increased temperature and increased precipitation = faster transformation. Three categories glaciers: past continental ice sheets, current continental ice sheets e. g. antarctica and greenland, valley/alpine glaciers. Dynamic balance: when overall accumulation rate = ablation rate, changes in either of these rates causing growth of glacier downhill or shrinking uphill. Ice thickness: thicker glacial ice = higher velocity, glacier temperature , deformation glacial ice easier at higher temps = higher velocity. The downstream movement of glaciers produce many features and landforms left behind when the glacial ice melts: cirques, moraines, hanging valleys, sharp peaks and rivers.
