| Term: | Cold glacier |
| Definition: |
Glacier in which most of the ice is below the pressure melting point; nonetheless, the glacier's surface may be susceptible to melt due to incoming solar radiation, and the ice at the rock/ice interface may be warmed as a result of the natural (geothermal) heat from the earth's surface. NSIDCCryosphere
A glacier consisting of cold ice, except possibly in a surface layer up to 1015 m thick that might warm to the melting point seasonally, and possibly right at the bed. See polythermal glacier, temperate glacier, dry-based glacier, warm-based glacier. IHPGlacierMassBalance A glacier in which the bulk of the ice is below the pressure-melting point and therefore frozen to the bed. Swisseduc Glacier in which the ice found from the its surface to base has a temperature as cold as -30 Celsius throughout the year. This is well below the pressure melting point. Pressure melting can cause the melting of ice at the base of these glaciers. One of the three types of glaciers: cold glacier; temperate glacier; and subpolar glacier. PhysicalGeography GCW |