Agassiz Glacier is the smaller glacier to the left. The Malaspina Glacier is one of the most famous examples of this type of glacier, and is the largest piedmont glacier in the world. Spilling out of the Seward Ice Field (visible near the top of the photograph), it covers over 5,000 square kilometers as it spreads across the coastal plain.

Malaspina Glacier in Alaska is one of the most famous examples of this type of glacier, and is the largest piedmont glacier in the world. Spilling out of the Seward Icefield, Malaspina Glacier covers about 3,900 square kilometers (1,500 square miles) as it spreads across the coastal plain.

Quick facts, basic science, and information about snow, ice, and why the cryosphere matters The cryosphere includes all of the snow and ice-covered regions across the planet.

What is a glacier? A glacier is an accumulation of ice and snow that slowly flows over land. At higher elevations, more snow typically falls than melts, adding to its mass. Eventually, the surplus of built-up ice begins to flow downhill. At lower elevations, there is usually a higher rate of melt or icebergs break off that removes ice mass.

Search by glacier name or number or by glacier parameters. Note: If you search by glacier name or number, you cannot refine your search by addtional parameters. This search will return only those records that exactly match your entry. Not all glaciers have names, but all glaciers have numbers. Note ...

niche glacier very small glacier that occupies gullies and hollows on north-facing slopes (northern hemisphere); may develop into cirque glacier if conditions are favorable. Topic(s):

You can search the entire WGI by glacier id, glacier name, or latitude/longitude (as well as other parameters) using the main Search Inventory interface. You can also search using the Extract Selected Regions interface. 1.2 Background The history of systematic glacier monitoring on a large scale began in 1894, with the establishment

Is an ice sheet different from a glacier? Ice sheets are much larger than glaciers. An ice sheet is a mass of glacial land ice, extending more than 50,000 square kilometers (20,000 square miles). Ice sheets can cover underlying canyons and mountain ranges. During the last ice age, ice sheets also covered much of North America and Scandinavia.

A critical feature of a glacier-ice shelf system is the grounding line, the point where the flowing ice begins to float. If the ice shelf calves and retreats to the grounding line, the glacier is called a tidewater glacier. Tidewater glaciers have no floating section, but the glacier front extends well below the water surface.

a valley glacier which drains an inland ice sheet or ice cap and flows through a gap in peripheral mountains.