Some parts of a glacier contain a lot of sediment; others contain very little. What accounts for the difference?
Contrast the kinds of till that you would expect to find in two glaciated areas: one a terrain of granitic and metamorphic rocks; the other a terrain of soft shales and loosely cemented sands.
What geologic evidence would you search for if you wanted to know the direction of ancient glacial movements across the Canadian Shield?
You are walking over a winding ridge of glacial drift. What evidence will you look for to discover whether you are on an esker or an end moraine?
One of the dangers of exploring glaciers is the possibility of falling into a crevasse. What topographic features of a valley glacier or its surroundings would you use to infer that you were on a part of the glacier that was badly crevassed?
You live in New Orleans, not far from the mouth of the Mississippi River. What might be your first indication that Earth is entering a new ice age?
Some geologists think that one result of continued global warming could be the shrinkage and collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet. How might this affect the populations of North America and Europe?
Evidence from boreholes drilled into the ice shows that there is liquid water at the base of some glaciers. What kinds of glaciers might have liquid water at the base? What factors might be responsible for the melting of ice at the bottom of these glaciers?
The density of ice (0.92 g/cm3) is less than that of water (1.0 g/cm3), which is why icebergs float. Using the principle of isostasy, compute what fraction of an iceberg’s mass floats above the sea surface.