Study these massive rivers of ice that sculpt landscapes and record climate history. Learn to distinguish glacier types: valley glaciers (flow through mountains), piedmont glaciers (spread at mountain bases), ice sheets (cover vast areas like Greenland), and tidewater glaciers (calve icebergs into ocean). Identify features like crevasses, moraines, seracs, and ice falls.
Visit glacier parks (Glacier National Park, Alaska, Iceland, Switzerland) or study satellite images and documentaries. Glaciers reveal Earth's past climates through ice cores and show current warming through dramatic retreat. Understanding glaciers teaches glaciology, climate science, and provides perspective on geological timescales.
Witnessing glaciers inspires both awe and environmental awareness.