| Term: | Flow |
| Definition: | Motion of an ice body by a combination of internal deformation, rigid displacement over the bed and deformation of bed material. Rigid displacement over the bed is called basal sliding, and implies that the ice at the bed is at its pressure-melting point. The speed and direction of the flow are determined by a balance of forces. In the momentum balance, acceleration terms are negligible. Typically, gravity is balanced by pressure and frictional forces. |