What term describes a huge mass of ice and snow that moves slowly over land?

What term describes a huge mass of ice and snow that moves slowly over land?

• A. Glaciers
• B. Icebergs
• C. Snowfields
• D. Pack ice

Answer: (A)

The term describes a huge mass of ice and snow that moves slowly over land is a glacier. Glaciers form when snow accumulates year after year and compresses into dense ice that behaves plastically under pressure. This thick ice then slowly flows downslope or outward under gravity, sculpting the landscape as it moves. You’ll find glaciers in high mountain regions and in ice sheets that cover large continental areas. Icebergs are chunks of glacier that have calved off and float in the sea, so they’re not moving over land. Snowfields are large, stationary patches of snow that haven’t yet compacted into flowing ice. Pack ice is sea ice floating on the ocean, not a mass moving over land.

The term describes a huge mass of ice and snow that moves slowly over land is a glacier. Glaciers form when snow accumulates year after year and compresses into dense ice that behaves plastically under pressure. This thick ice then slowly flows downslope or outward under gravity, sculpting the landscape as it moves. You’ll find glaciers in high mountain regions and in ice sheets that cover large continental areas.

Icebergs are chunks of glacier that have calved off and float in the sea, so they’re not moving over land. Snowfields are large, stationary patches of snow that haven’t yet compacted into flowing ice. Pack ice is sea ice floating on the ocean, not a mass moving over land.