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.
