Types of glaciers

Mainly based on the type of glacier ice shape, size and terrain conditions which is divided into the following three categories: 

1. Continental glaciers (continental glaciers) 

 
Also known as ice (ice sheet) for the scale of the broad masses of continental glacier glacier coverage in the mainland or highland areas, all of the mountains, valley and plains all be covered. The central part of the higher, ice from the central to move around in any direction, not melt directly into the sea, which covers the entire land from the edge of the land directly into the sea, it said the mainland glaciers. Usually can reach 3000 meters in thickness, some were round or oval. 

Broad continental glacier ice have very thick body, its own weight in the strong pressure from the glacier extends constantly expand, with an area of constantly increasing, it was into the local small-scale ice tongue outriggers layer compared with the ice cap (ice cap) if the land development of glaciers into the sea, the huge body of ice collapsed into the sea because the sea ice body than light, will become the tip of the (iceberg), the Arctic sea steeple-shaped tip of the most positive is the Arctic Circle all the island's ice slide caused by the sea; the Antarctic near the tip of the mostly flat-topped tables were shaped by covering the Antarctic continent on the end of the gradual collapse of large ice floating in the sea due. 


2. Valley glacier (valley glaciers) 

Occurred in the mountains or snow above the snow line, the mainstream by the glacier and its tributary the composition of the sub-alpine glaciers throughout the system. When moving down the ice along the valley, cross the snow line to continue to lower its liquidity and rivers similar circumstances, known as the valley glacier. Glacier Valley to the snow line for the sector, with a clear accumulated snow and ice melt zone area. Long valley glacier may be a few kilometers to tens of kilometers away, several hundred meters thick. If the separate existence of a glacier, called single valley glacier; by several glaciers sinks and is called composite valley glacier. 


3. Foothills glaciers (piedmont glaciers) 

When the valley glacier outflow from the mountain Taniguchi arrived in flat areas, ice to the plane to start or expand in the foothill areas a vast ice sheets, occupy a substantial area, the flow very slowly, known as the piedmont glacier. 



Above all the different types of glaciers can be converted each other, when the snow line lower valley glacier gradually expanded to the foothills of the extension of glaciers has become foothills. When the cold wet climate, snow increased the scope of the expansion of the foothills to the plains of glaciers are continuing to expand at the same time because of snow and ice buried thickening and the formation of continental mountain glaciers.