Glaciers are more than just gigantic, slow-moving ice slabs, and you are about to learn more about them.
People flock to Alaska every year to witness the giant glaciers on the open water. If you are going on a cruise around the Aleutian Islands or the mainland of Alaska, you will likely witness the spectacular Tundra scenery. But have you ever wondered what makes these glaciers so breathtakingly beautiful? We have compiled nine fascinating facts about glaciers to help your kids learn more about these mammoth ice slabs.
Solid glaciers cannot absorb blue light—and when viewing them through a camera lens or the naked eye—they emit a blue glow. The ice crystals deflect blue light while allowing other wavelengths to pass through them. As a result, photographs of glaciers often appear to possess a natural blue tinge.
The glaciers store roughly 69 per cent of the planet’s freshwater in the form of ice. Only in the United States—glaciers occupy nearly 35,000 square miles—and a major part of that glacial ice can be found in Alaska.
If the glaciers on Earth melt, all the coastal cities in the world will get flooded due to the significant rise in the sea level (about 230 feet).
Only 10 percent of our planet is covered in glacial ice—constituting the expansive polar regions and sheet ice in Antarctica and Greenland. One percent of that glacial ice can be found in Alaska—an accessible region for people living in Canada or the United States.
In the last ice age, glaciers covered nearly 32 per cent of the Earth. In recent years, the slow development of glaciers has also adversely impacted the animal life in the regions.
The formation process of glaciers is very slow—glacial ice requires centuries to accumulate and form massive permanent structures. The cooling period should be longer than the melting season for glaciers to form. When the ice melts rapidly, its glacial nature is lost—as a result—the deterioration of snow crystals prevents the ice from reforming entirely during the upcoming cooling period.
Although glaciers travel slowly, gravity can help them drift across. The average drifting speed depends on the glacier’s shape and size, and the adjoining terrain. Every day, it can travel around 50 feet, but some may travel much faster or slower.
It might sound conflicting and bizarre that a volcano can receive snowfall to create an environment that supports glacier formation, but it has happened. In regions with frigid temperatures, an active volcano’s crust can remain cool to support the accumulation of snow on top. In 1996, when the Grímsvötn volcano in Iceland erupted, the flowing lava melted the ice enveloping it and flooded the adjoining areas.
Glaciers form in the coldest parts of the planet, but the Ecuadorian Andes and Mexico are home to some. Glaciers can form in the mountainous Alpine region—which gradually glides down the cliffs, shaping the valleys underneath.
Researchers have excavated well-preserved frozen wooly mammoths from the ice—but a glacier being the outermost layer, it is unlikely to find a fossil trapped in it. However, a tourist in 1991 made a shocking discovery, and a well-preserved mummy was found in the Similaun Glacier. Scientists estimated that it had perished roughly around 3350 BC. He is recognised as the Tyrolean Ötztal Alps’ “Iceman”.
NASA uses some of its aircraft and satellites to closely observe the glaciers. For instance, the IceBridge navigates the annual depletion and growth of prominent glaciers while the GRACE satellite gathers data on rising sea levels and shrinking glaciers.
Use this knowledge to educate your child on glaciers, and if you want to go on a glacier tour with your family, Alaska is hands down the best destination for your next holiday.
