Glacier
An immense field or stream of ice, formed in the region of perpetual snow, and moving slowly down a mountain slope or valley, as in the alps, or over an extended area, as in Greenland.
The mass of compacted snow forming the upper part of a glacier is called the firn, or neve; the glacier proper consist of solid ice, deeply crevassed where broken up by irregularities in the slope or direction of its path. A glacier usually carries with it accumulations of stones and dirt called moraines, which are designated, according to their position, as lateral, medial, or terminal (see Moraine). The common rate of flow of the alpine glaciers is from ten to twenty inches per day in summer, and about half that in winter.
(Science: geology) glacier theory, the theory that large parts of the frigid and temperate zones were covered with ice during the glacial, or ice, period, and that, by the agency of this ice, the loose materials on the earth’s surface, called drift or diluvium, were transported and accumulated.
Origin: f. Glacier, fr. Glace ice, L. Glacies.
Dictionary > Glaciers
You will also like...

Ecosystem Succession
If the balance of nature is left untouched, landscapes can change dramatically over time. A previous ecosystem is supers..

Growth Patterns
This tutorial describes the sigmoid curve, annual plant growth, tree growth, human growth, and insect growth as the grow..

Still Water Animals
Animals living in aquatic habitats have diversified and evolved through time. They eventually occupy ecological niches a..

Developmental Biology
Developmental biology is a biological science that is primarily concerned with how a living thing grows and attains matu..

Chromosome Mutations
Mutations can also influence the phenotype of an organism. This tutorial looks at the effects of chromosomal mutations, ..

Fruits, Flowers, and Seeds
This tutorial deals with the structure and function of flowers, fruits, and seeds. Also included here are the types of f..