Problem 2
Studies have shown that during the lce Age the margins of some ice sheets advanced southward from the Hudson Bay region at rates ranging from about 50 to 320 meters per year. a. Determine the maximum amount of time required for an ice sheet to move from the southern end of Hudson Bay to the south shore of present day Lake Erie, a distance of 1600 kilometers. b. Calculate the minimum number of years required for an ice sheet to move this distance.
Problem 3
If Earth were to experience another lce Age, one hemisphere would have substantially more expansive ice sheets than the other. Would it be the Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Hemisphere? What is the reason for the large disparity?
Problem 4
While taking a break from a hike in the Northern Rockies with a fellow geology enthusiast, you notice that the boulder you are sitting on is part of a large deposit of sediment that consists of a jumbled mixture of many different sediment sizes. Since you are in an area that once had extensive valley glaciers, your colleague suggests that the deposit must be glacial till. Although you know this is certainly a likely possibility, you remind your companion that material deposited by landslides can also consist of an unsorted mix of many sizes. How might you and your friend determine whether this deposit is actually glacial till?
Problem 5
For each of the statements below, identify the type of glacier that is being described. a. A glacier that is often described as continental. b. A glacier that forms when one or more valley glaciers spreads out at the base of a steep mountain. c. Greenland is the only example of this type of glacier in the Northern Hemisphere. d. A glacier that may also be called an alpine glacier. e. This glacier is a stream of ice leading from the margin of an ice sheet through the mountains to the sea.
Problem 6
Glacial ice is classified as a metamorphic rock, yet glaciers are a basic part of the hydrologic cycle. Should glaciers be considered a part of the geosphere or do they belong to the hydrosphere? Explain.
Problem 7
If the budget of a valley glacier were balanced for an extended span, what feature would you expect to find at the terminus of the glacier? Now assume the glacier's budget changes so that ablation exceeds accumulation. How would the terminus of the glacier change? Describe the deposit you would expect to form under these conditions.
