Ice sheet

An ice sheet is a mass of glacial ice covering more than 50,000 square kilometers of land. It flows outward under its own weight and can reshape landscapes and influence sea level.

Ice flow: The deformation and movement of glacier ice under gravity. Internal deformation makes ice move outward from an ice sheet’s interior.
Sea-level rise: A long-term increase in the average level of the ocean. Loss of grounded ice from ice sheets adds water to the ocean.
Antarctic ice sheet: The ice mass covering most of Antarctica, including the East and West Antarctic ice sheets. It is Earth’s largest ice sheet and contains most of its land ice.
Snow accumulation: The addition of snowfall to the surface of a glacier or ice sheet. Persistent accumulation compacts into firn and eventually becomes glacial ice.
Ice cap: A dome-shaped mass of glacial ice covering less than 50,000 square kilometers of land. Unlike an ice sheet, an ice cap falls below the defining area threshold.
Basal sliding: Movement of glacier ice over the bed beneath it, often aided by meltwater. Sliding at the bed can accelerate ice-sheet flow toward the coast.
Paleoclimatology: The study of past climates using natural records preserved in sediments, ice, and other materials. Ice-sheet layers preserve evidence of past atmospheric conditions and temperature.
Greenland ice sheet: The ice sheet covering most of Greenland. Its rapid surface melting and outlet-glacier losses contribute to current sea-level rise.
Firn: Old, compacted snow that has survived at least one melt season but has not yet become glacial ice. Firn is the intermediate material through which accumulated snow becomes ice.
Ice field: An extensive region of interconnected glaciers whose flow is influenced by surrounding topography. Mountain terrain channels ice fields, while ice sheets largely override underlying relief.

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