Physics of Glacier Flow :: physics glaciers ice

How Glaciers Flow- Glaciers flow under the force of gravity as snow accumulates on the upper parts of the glacier and wants moves d birth slope.- The snow compresses to compel nut and flows through the glacier into the ablation zone where it is lost.- If the accumulation equals the ablation than the glacier is tell to be in equilibrium and its position will not change. This does not mean that the rubbish will not flowAccumulation orderThe ara where inputs occur into a glacier system. This usually occurs near the top of the glacier or drinking glass sheet and such inputs to the system include snowfall, wind blown snow, rain and avalanches.Ablation ZoneThe region in which more atomic pile is lost than gained in a glacier system. This usually occurs at the end and sides of the glacier. Forms of losses include wind ablation, avalanching, iceberg calving and melting. Glaciers flow through third different mechanisms (1) by internal contortion (2) by basal slip and (3) by subgl acial deformation.Glacier Flow MechanismsInternal DeformationIce deforms under its own weight due to gravity and the movements of tiny ice crystals. Thicker and warmer ice deforms more rapidly although the overall movement is very slow, only some tens of meters a year. There are two main processes of internal deformation creep, which forms fold structures, and faulting, which occurs when ice cannot creep fast enough and forms superficial tensional fractures.Basal SlidingEnhanced Basal Creep - Stress concentrations rough the upstream side of an obstacle result in topically mellow strain rates which causes ice to accelerate around the obstacle. The basal ice continually modifies its shape to allow a continued sliding. This process working best when the obstacle is over 1m in size.Regelation - The process allows glacier ice to trend over rough beds by melting and refreezing on the downglacier side. It occurs as the just about resistance to glacier movement is provided by the upst ream side of obstacles. This results in locally high pressures and the consequent encouragement of ice melting immediately upglacier of the obstacle. The resulting meltwater migrates to the refuse pressure area downstream where it refreezes. This process is most effective when objects are less than 1m in size.Subglacial deformationSediment has a lower reward strength than rock and ice and so it is deformable. As the sediment deforms, it moves the ice sheet with it.Ice Velocites * The surface velocities of a glacier can be calculated quite easily using GPS.