How does glacial ice move?

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Name three processes which contribue to how glacial ice moves.
Basal slip, regelation creep, internal deformation.
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Explain what is meant by basal slip.
Ice slides across bedrock/sediment substrate because of a layer of meltwater between the ice and substrate. Water-saturated sediment beneath ice can also slide, carrying the ice with it.
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Explain what is meant by regelation creep.
occurs when ice melts under pressure, usually because it encounters an obstacle. The meltwater flows around the obstacle and refreezes as the pressure drops.
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Explain what is meant by internal deformation.
Movement between or within individual grains of ice, including grains slipping over each other, melting and recrystallising, and slip within individual grains (intra-granular slip).
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Where does basal slip occur?
Warm-based, temperate glaciers and the margins of some cold-based ice masses.
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Where does regelation creep occur?
Valley glaciers on steep, rocky slopes at the ice/substrate contact.
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Where does internal deformation occur?
The upper parts of ice masses. The only type of motion on cold-based ice masses.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Explain what is meant by basal slip.

Back

Ice slides across bedrock/sediment substrate because of a layer of meltwater between the ice and substrate. Water-saturated sediment beneath ice can also slide, carrying the ice with it.

Card 3

Front

Explain what is meant by regelation creep.

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

Explain what is meant by internal deformation.

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Where does basal slip occur?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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