Past and present ice cover

Cards (12)

What is the cryosphere?
The frozen part of the Earth's hydrological system
What is the majority of the cryosphere made up of?
Land surfaces, such as ice sheets, ice caps, and glaciers
What is the rest of the cryosphere made up of?
Bodies of frozen water, such as can be found in oceans, lakes, and rivers
What is an ice sheet?
A large area of ice which covers land surfaces, often over one kilometre thick
What is an ice shelf?
A large floating platform of ice formed at the end of ice sheets next to the ocean
What is an ice cap?
A small mass of ice that are associated with mountain ranges
What is a cirque/corrie glacier?
Small glaciers that occupy hollows on mountains
What is valley glacier?
Large glaciers that move from ice fields or corries and follow river courses
What are polar regions?
Areas of permanent ice
What are periglacial/tundra regions?
Areas at the edge of permanent ice, characterised by permafrost
What are alpine regions?
Mountainous areas where glaciers are found
What are glacial environments?
Areas created by the movement of glaciers