World Geography : Glacier and its Types . ( UPSC )

Glaciers are a bulk of ice moving under its weight.

Types of Glaciers

a) Ice caps

• Ice caps are the covers of snow and ice on the mountain ranges from which the valley or mountain glaciers originate.
• Though they can also be found at the lower altitudes.
• Ice caps have an area of less than 50,000 km2.

b) Continental Glaciers/Sheet

• Continental glaciers are continuous masses of ice that are much larger than alpine glaciers.
• They have areas larger than 50,000 km2.
• Examples – Antarctica, Iceland, Greenland etc.

c) Valley Glaciers

• A glacier that fills a valley is called a valley glacier.
• The valley glaciers are also known as Alpine Glacier and are found in the valleys created by lofty mountains.
• Example – Himalaya in India.