What is a Glacier?
A glacier is a large perennial mass of ice which moves over land. There are two main types of glaciers, alpine and continental glaciers.
Alpine glaciers form in the mountains. Large alpine glaciers can cover an entire mountain or mountain chain. As they become larger, they start flowing down valleys, becoming what is called a valley glacier.
Continental glaciers, also called ice sheets, are the largest glaciers that cover a broad section of land. Antarctica and Greenland are the only two places where continental glaciers exist.
Another type of glacier is a tidewater glacier, which flows into the sea. As the ice moves and reaches the water, large chunks fall off. This is the process known as calving.
ALPINE GLACIER
Greenland, which is covered by about 80% ice, is an example of where continental glaciers exist:
