| Term: | Ice cap |
| Definition: | A dome-shaped ice body with radial flow, largely obscuring the subsurface topography and generally defined as covering less than 50 000 km2 (see ice sheet). The flow pattern is less influenced by the subsurface topography than is true of icefields and valley glaciers. The definition embraces small as well as large ice bodies. The usage '(polar) ice cap' for the sea ice cover of the Arctic Ocean or Southern Ocean is confusing and best avoided. |