Types of Glaciers
Ice sheets:
Ice sheets are large masses of ice that cover broad areas and are not confined by the walls of a valley. They are incredibly thick, often obscuring underlying landscape features, such as mountains and valleys. Examples of ice sheets include the Greenland ice sheet and the Antarctic ice sheet
 |
| Greenland ice sheet. Source: https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/types-glaciers |
Cirque glaciers:
Cirque glaciers are a type of glacier that occur in bowl shaped depressions and are confined to the headlands of mountain valleys.
 |
|
Talèfre Glacier, Mont Blanc, France. Source: https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/types-glaciers |
Valley Glaciers:
Valley glaciers are long, narrow glaciers, that flow downvalley, confined within the valley walls. Unlike cirque glaciers, they are not confined to the headlands.
 |
| Fraser Glacier, Alaska. Source: https://www.nps.gov/articles/valleyandpiedmontglaciers.htm |
Tidewater Glaciers:
Tidewater glaciers are valley glaciers that flow all the way down to the coast and interact with marine waters.
 |
| Hubbard Glacier, Alaska, the largest tidewater glacier in North America. Source: https://www.nps.gov/wrst/learn/nature/glaciers.htm |