Did you know that glaciers cover approximately 35,000 sq. miles of the Earth’s surface?
What is a glacier?
Simply put, glaciers are compressed snow. Easy, right? Snow that stays in one place and compresses over time eventually turns into ice. The more snow there is and the longer it builds up, the larger the mass of ice. A very unique quality of glaciers is that they have the ability to flow. Their movement is similar to a very slow river. (https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/glaciers/information.html)
(Photo courtesy of Dirk Spijkers)
It may not seem like a good idea to have all this ice sitting around, however, glaciers are very important for life in the mountains. Both plants and animals require water from the glaciers to help them survive. The glaciers also provide water for people who live below the mountains.
This is a great website to learn more about glaciers and even build your own mini-glacier!
The Humble Homeschooler 