Glaciers and Albedo

Front

What is albedo?

Back

Albedo is the measure of the reflectivity of a surface, expressed as a percentage of incoming sunlight that is reflected back into space.

Front

Which surface has the highest albedo?

Back

Snow has the highest albedo, reflecting about 80-90% of sunlight.

Front

What is a glacier?

Back

A glacier is a large mass of snow and ice that moves slowly over land due to its own weight.

Front

What is a drumlin?

Back

A drumlin is a tear-drop-shaped hill formed by the movement of glacial ice over and around a till deposit.

Front

What is outwash?

Back

Outwash refers to sediments that are deposited by meltwater from a glacier.

Front

What is plucking in glacial processes?

Back

Plucking is the process by which a glacier removes large chunks of rock from the ground as it moves.

Front

What is till?

Back

Till is unsorted sediment that is deposited directly by a glacier.

Front

What is an esker?

Back

An esker is a long, winding ridge of sand and gravel deposited by meltwater streams flowing beneath a glacier.

Front

What is a moraine?

Back

A moraine is an accumulation of debris (till) that has been transported and deposited by a glacier.

Front

What is a U-shaped valley?

Back

A U-shaped valley is a valley formed by the erosion of a glacier, characterized by its U-shaped cross-section.