Glaciation

Glaciation is the formation and expansion of glaciers and ice sheets, along with their movement and effects on landscapes, climate, and sea level.

Mass balance of a glacier: The difference between the snow and ice a glacier gains and the ice it loses over a given period. Accumulation exceeding ablation lets glaciers grow and advance.
Glacier: A persistent mass of land ice that forms from compacted snow and flows under its own weight. Glaciers are the moving ice bodies produced by glaciation.
Last Glacial Maximum: The interval when global ice sheets reached their greatest extent during the most recent glacial period, about 26,000–19,000 years ago. It provides a well-studied example of extensive recent glaciation.
Sea-level change: Variation in the height of the sea surface relative to land over time. Growing land ice stores ocean water; melting ice returns it to the sea.
Glacier flow: The downhill movement of glacier ice through internal deformation and sliding at its bed. Flow carries accumulated ice toward glacier tongues and outlets.
Ice sheet: A continent-scale mass of glacial ice that covers more than 50,000 square kilometers. Ice sheets are the largest expressions of glaciation.
Laurentide Ice Sheet: The vast Pleistocene ice sheet that covered much of Canada and parts of the northern United States. Its advance and retreat shaped much of North America's landscape.
Glacial lake: A lake formed by glacial meltwater or held in place by ice or glacial deposits. Retreating ice can create lakes that reshape drainage and floodplains.
Glacial erosion: The wearing away of rock by moving glacier ice and the debris it carries. Erosion explains how glaciers carve valleys and polish bedrock.
Snowline: The boundary above which snow persists from year to year in a particular place. Its elevation helps determine where glacier ice can accumulate.

Linked from 12 pages