Ice shelf

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/ice-shelf

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 primary mechanism of movement?Gravity-driven flow from the grounded ice sheet
2. What is the key factors influencing stability?Basal melt rates from ocean warming, surface meltwater, and calving frequency
3. How does an ice shelf move across the ocean?Gravity pulls the ice from the land toward the sea, so the shelf slowly slides forward. The ice keeps flowing from the grounding line to the edge called the ice front.
4. Why do ice shelves melt or break off?Ice shelves can melt on top, melt from the ocean below, or break off in big pieces called calving. Warm air and water make the ice thinner and more likely to break.

Grounding Line: The critical transition zone where ice loses contact with the bedrock and begins to float on seawater.
Basal Melting: The process of ice melting from its underside due to contact with warmer ocean water.
Hydrofracturing: The widening of crevasses by meltwater, which can lead to the rapid disintegration of ice shelves.