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Article: Glaciers and Ice Sheets
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- Water:Science and Issues
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Glaciers and Ice Sheets
Glaciers and ice sheets are perennial accumulations of ice and snow that flow downslope, slowly, due to their own weight. These terrestrial (land-based) ice masses often are classified by size as either glaciers, ice caps, or ice sheets. At the present time, perennial ice covers about 10 percent of Earth's land surface.
Glaciers, the smallest of the terrestrial ice masses, originate in high mountain basins, called cirques, or may be fed by ice caps or ice sheets. Glaciers flow within mountain valleys. Although glaciers are generally thought of as polar entities, they also are found in mountainous areas throughout the world, on all continents except Australia, and ...