Mass balance | Crash Course Cryosphere #2 | Summary and Q&A

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April 11, 2017
by
Simon Clark
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Mass balance | Crash Course Cryosphere #2

TL;DR

This content provides an overview of how glaciers form, grow, and change over time, including the importance of mass balance and energy budgets.

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Key Insights

  • 🥶 Glaciers form when there is enough snow and ice that survives the summer melt season and accumulates into an ice mass capable of flowing.
  • 🥶 The blue color of glacier ice is due to its ability to absorb non-blue wavelengths, caused by the absence of bubbles within the ice.
  • 🥶 Ice cores provide valuable data on past climate conditions and can be used to measure accumulation rates and determine changes in the climate.

Transcript

hello and welcome to crash course cries fear I'm Tom and I'm Simon and this week I'm gonna be looking at mass balance this is how ice is lost and gained from ice sheets to graces we're going to be looking at energy budgets and ready to transfer something that's much more important than what Tom's talking about we've examined how water becomes ice a... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: What are the two requirements for a glacier to form?

A glacier forms when enough snow and ice survive the summer melt season and there is enough mass of ice for it to deform and flow under its own weight.

Q: How is glacier ice different from ice in a home freezer?

Glacier ice is deep blue in color due to its lack of bubbles, which allows it to absorb non-blue wavelengths. This is in contrast to regular ice in a freezer, which appears clear or white.

Q: How are ice cores used in studying past climate conditions?

Ice cores provide a record of annual layers of snow and ice, which can be used to measure accumulation rates and determine past climate conditions. By counting the layers, researchers can establish an absolute date and study changes over time.

Q: What is the significance of a glacier's energy budget?

The energy budget of a glacier determines its mass balance, which refers to the change in the amount of ice in the glacier over time. By understanding the energy inputs and outputs, scientists can assess how glaciers gain and lose ice.

Summary & Key Takeaways

  • Glaciers form when enough snow and ice survive the summer melt season and accumulate into an ice mass capable of flowing downhill under its own weight.

  • Glacier ice appears blue due to its ability to absorb non-blue wavelengths more readily, caused by the lack of bubbles within the ice.

  • Glaciers grow as each year's snowfall accumulates and compacts into glacial ice, forming distinct layers that can be analyzed to determine past climate conditions.

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