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Glaciology
Contributed by: McLoughlin
  • 1. Glaciology is the scientific study of ice and glaciers, including their formation, movement, and effects on the environment. It combines elements of geology, climatology, and physics to understand the processes that shape ice formations and how they interact with the Earth's climate system. Glaciologists study topics such as glacier dynamics, ice sheet stability, ice core analysis, and the impacts of glacier retreat on sea level rise. Understanding glaciology is crucial for predicting future climate changes and their consequences for global ecosystems and human societies.

    What is a glacier?
A) A type of volcanic rock formation.
B) A type of cloud formation.
C) A large mass of ice that moves under its own weight.
D) A type of desert landscape.
  • 2. What causes a glacier to move?
A) Gravity and the weight of the glacier.
B) Magnetic fields.
C) Earth's rotation.
D) Wind force.
  • 3. What is the study of glaciers called?
A) Geology.
B) Cryology.
C) Hydrology.
D) Glaciology.
  • 4. What is the process of a glacier releasing chunks of ice into the ocean called?
A) Erosion.
B) Calving.
C) Melting.
D) Sublimation.
  • 5. Glacial ice is made of compacted ________?
A) Hail.
B) Snow.
C) Rain.
D) Sleet.
  • 6. What is the term for a glacier that flows down a valley?
A) Valley glacier.
B) Plateau glacier.
C) Cirque glacier.
D) Mountain glacier.
  • 7. What is the melting of a glacier due to direct contact with air or water called?
A) Ablation.
B) Calving.
C) Erosion.
D) Sublimation.
  • 8. What type of glacier flows out into the sea?
A) Alpine glacier.
B) Tidewater glacier.
C) Continental glacier.
D) Receding glacier.
  • 9. Glacial ice can appear blue because it absorbs _____ light?
A) Green.
B) Blue.
C) Yellow.
D) Red.
  • 10. What is the process of ice turning directly into vapor without melting called?
A) Diffusion.
B) Condensation.
C) Sublimation.
D) Evaporation.
  • 11. What is the terminal end of a glacier where melting and calving occur called?
A) Icefall.
B) Schrund.
C) Serac field.
D) Calving front.
  • 12. What is the horizontal movement of glacial ice at the base of the glacier called?
A) Basal sliding.
B) Creep rate.
C) Internal deformation.
D) Surface flow.
  • 13. What is a large piece of ice that breaks off a glacier into the water called?
A) Calving
B) Glacier tongue
C) Ice floe
D) Iceberg
  • 14. What is the term for the grinding of bedrock beneath a glacier, causing erosion?
A) Deposition
B) Evaporation
C) Abrasion
D) Condensation
  • 15. What instrument is used to measure the thickness of a glacier?
A) Ice-penetrating radar
B) Anemometer
C) Barometer
D) Thermometer
  • 16. Which continent has the most glacial ice?
A) Europe
B) Asia
C) North America
D) Antarctica
  • 17. What forms when two glaciers meet and merge into a single ice flow?
A) Crevasse
B) Calving
C) Serac
D) Confluence
  • 18. Glacial valleys often have a distinctive U-shaped profile due to what type of erosion?
A) Fluvial erosion
B) Chemical weathering
C) Plucking
D) Wind erosion
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