When a glacier has a positive mass balance?
In the case of positive mass balance, the glacier will continue to advance expanding its low elevation area, resulting in more melting. If this still does not create an equilibrium balance the glacier will continue to advance.
What is the surface mass balance?
Surface mass balance is the difference between the precipitation (rain and snow) that has accumulated on the upper surfaces of glaciers and ice sheets and what has been lost due to melt and eventual runoff and evaporation.
How does mass balance of a glacier change?
Mass balance can be thought of as the ‘health of a glacier’; glaciers losing more mass than they receive will be in negative mass balance and so will recede. Glaciers gaining more mass than they lose will be in positive mass balance and will advance.
What will happen to a negative mass balance glacier quizlet?
What will a glacier with sustained negative balance do? It is out of its equilibrium and will retreat.
What is ice mass balance?
The mass balance of a glacier or ice sheet is the net balance between the mass gained by snow deposition, and the loss of mass by melting (either at the glacier surface or under the floating ice shelves or ice tongues) and calving (production of icebergs).
Which determines the mass balance of a glacier quizlet?
What is mass balance? The difference between the amount of snow and ice accumulation on the glacier and the amount of snow and ice ablation (melting and sublimation) lost from the glacier.
How do glaciers gain mass?
Glaciers gain mass through snowfall and lose mass through melting and sublimation (when water evaporates directly from solid ice). Glaciers that terminate in a lake or the ocean also lose mass through iceberg calving.
What will happen to a glacier if the rate of accumulation is greater than the rate of ablation?
The upper area of a glacier where the rate of accumulation is higher than the rate of ablation. Occurs over a time period when ablation averaged across the whole glacier exceeds accumulation averaged across the whole glacier. The glacier becomes smaller and the end of the glacier goes back.
What characteristic of a glacier causes it to move?
Glaciers move by internal deformation of the ice, and by sliding over the rocks and sediments at the base. Internal deformation occurs when the weight and mass of a glacier causes it to spread out due to gravity. Sliding occurs when the glacier slides on a thin layer of water at the bottom of the glacier.
How does mass balance affect ice caps?
A negative mass balance means that a glacier is losing mass, and, for grounded glaciers and ice sheets, this mass loss directly contributes to sea level rise (the melting of floating ice shelves and ice tongues does not contribute to sea level rise, because of the lower density of ice as compared to water, which …
Which force is primarily responsible for the movement of a glacier?
Gravity is the cause of glacier motion; the ice slowly flows and deforms (changes) in response to gravity. A glacier molds itself to the land and also molds the land as it creeps down the valley. Many glaciers slide on their beds, which enables them to move faster.
How do glaciers lose mass?