Glacier Physics
Compiled by Mark Francek (more info) at Carleton College (SERC) and Central Michigan University
Find animations and movies revealing how a glacier forms, moves, retreats, and in the case of tidewater glaciers, calves. Images of glaciers are also available.
Life Cycle of a Glacier, PBS Nova (more info) : A Flash annotated slide show traces the evolution of freshly fallen snow on the surface of a glacier, through firn, and finally to ice. The ice crystal pictured moves through the zone of accumulation, passes by the equilibrium line, and finally into the ocean after calving.
Seasonal Migration of Snow Cover, Exploring Earth (more info) : A Flash animation shows the seasonal fluctuation of the snow line on Mount Rainier, Washington. Locations above the snow line are snow-covered all year; locations below the snow line are snow covered during the winter and are snow free during the summer. The animation can be paused and rewound to emphasize important points.
Alpine Glacier Ice Flow, McGraw Hill (more info) : This Flash animation presents ice crystal movement in the rigid zone and zone of plastic flow along with the curvilinear path of surface markers indicating ice advance. Access the animation by clicking on the "Ice Flow in a Glacier" link.
Continental Glacier Ice Flow, McGraw Hill (more info) : Instead of the usual portrayal of ice physics with an alpine glacier, this Flash animation renders ice flow patterns for a continental ice sheet. The advancing ice passes passes a submerged mountain range (nunatuks are present) on its way to calving at a coast. Access the animation by clicking on the "Cross-section of an Ice Sheet" link.
Alpine Glacier Crevasses, McGraw Hill (more info) : A Flash animation showing the creation of crevasses at alpine glacier edges and where there are drop offs in underlying bedrock topography. The disappearance of crevasses is visible at compressional zones near the glacier snout. Access the animation by clicking on the "Crevasses on a Glacier" link.
Glacier Calving, John Wiley (more info) : This Quick Time movie displays calving of Antarctica's Pine Island Glacier. Calving is the process by which coastal glacier ice at the ice/water interface detaches from the main body of the glacier, creating an iceberg. The animation can be paused and rewound to emphasize important points.
Earth Science Photo Library, USGS (more info) : A search using "glaciers" yields over 2000 images available in 100, 700, and 1400 dots per inch resolution. The photos, with accompanying descriptions, range in age from 1868 through 1992. Many historic images are available taken by pioneer photographers at national parks.
