Glacier head

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/glacier-head

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the location?High-altitude cirques, mountain glaciers, and polar ice sheets
2. What is the primary process?Net accumulation of snow leading to glacial ice formation
3. How does snow become glacier ice?Snow gets pressed by more snow above, crystals grow together, and air is squeezed out, making the snow denser over many years.
4. Why are glacier heads important for rivers?They melt slowly and give water to rivers, especially in dry places, helping plants, animals, and people.

Accumulation Zone: The region of a glacier where snowfall exceeds ice loss through melting or sublimation.
Ablation: The loss of ice or snow from a glacier through melting, sublimation, or calving.
Cirque: A bowl-shaped hollow at the head of a valley or on the side of a mountain, formed by glacial erosion.
Paleoclimatology: The study of past climates using natural archives like ice cores and tree rings.