Reading Guide
for September 3

from Cvancara, Field Manual for the Amateur Geologist

Chapter 3. Glacier-Related Landforms

Despite global warming, glaciers and ice caps are a significant part of Earth’s current environment. At times in the past, there has been more or less ice than there is now. Ice on land is perhaps the most powerful erosional influence there is, and glacial landforms are some of the most distinctive on Earth.

p. 20–22. Glaciers and Glacial Ice.

• What are the two main types of glacier? What is their form, and where do they occur?
• How is glacial ice created?
• How do glaciers move?

pp. 22–23. Work of Glaciers. This section is short, and answers two questions.

• How do glaciers erode the materials they pass over?
• In what form is the material eroded by a glacier eventually deposited?

pp. 24–28. Landforms of Valley Glaciers. Many features are described quickly here. Fortunately, they are diagrammed well in Figure 3-5 (page 26). Familiarize yourself with the terms in boldface.

pp. 28–37. Landforms of Continental Glaciers. Although continental glacier landforms are not nearly as dramatic as valley glacier landforms, they cover much more of the Earth’s surface. As always, read the descriptions of the features, understand how they form, and match the descriptions with the illustrations and photographs.

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