Glacier morphology

[1] The goal of glacial morphology is to gain a better understanding of glaciated landscapes and the way they are shaped.

They are the largest glacial ice formations and hold the vast majority of the world's fresh water.

[5] They mainly form in polar and sub-polar regions with particularly high elevation but flat ground.

[5] They tend to develop evenly over a land mass that may be either a topographic height or a depression, often reflecting the sub-glacial topography.

However, in ice caps, the thickness of the dome is much smaller, measuring roughly up to several hundred metres in comparison.

[5] An example of an ice dome is Kupol Vostok Pervyy in Alger Island, Franz Josef Land, Russia.

[8] They feature a higher velocity in the centre of the stream, and are bounded by slow-moving ice on either side.

[11] An icefield is an example of glacier structure that covers a relatively large area, and is usually located in mountain terrain.

[4] Icefields are quite similar to ice caps; however, their morphology is much more influenced by the underlying mountainous topography.

[15] The flow of these glaciers is confined by the walls of the valley they are found in; but they may also form in mountain ranges as gathering snow turns to ice.

[12][20] As bits and pieces of hanging glaciers break off and begin to fall, avalanches can be triggered.