| Term: | Ice-field |
| Definition: |
Approximately horizontal, ice covered area; Ice covering does not overwhelm surrounding topography; Occur in topographical depressions or plateaus; No dome like shape (in contrast to Ice cap); Smaller than 50.000km^2 (approx. 220 x 220 km) ; Ice masses of sheet or blanket type of a thickness not sufficient to obscure the sub-surface topography; In some cases no need to classify in "Frontal characteristic" (the frontal characteristic is described by the outreaching glaciers); Might also be used to classify low lying areas where the ice divides and flow directions are not clearly detectable "transectional glaciers") GLIMSGlacier
GCW |