Author Question: Describe important characteristics of the last glacial maximum, including ice extent and thickness, ... (Read 90 times)

jCorn1234 · **on:** Jul 14, 2018

Describe important characteristics of the last glacial maximum, including ice extent and thickness, crustal deformation, and changes in air temperature and sea level.

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

During ice ages, the ice sheets were thickest and most wide spread in

A) the southern hemisphere.
B) the northern hemisphere.
C) Europe, and especially Russia.
D) the south pole.

jharrington11 · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 14, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Answer: Ice sheets advanced to within 40 of the equator, covering the ground to a depth of several kilometers. Tremendous quantities of water were transferred from ocean to land, building sheets 3,500 to 4,000 m (2.1 to 2.5 mi) thick. Given enough time, this would be enough to depress the continental crust by more than 800 m (0.5 mi). When the ice melted, the land surface gradually expanded upward toward its original level. On land, temperature changes varied greatly by proximity to the ice sheets and to the ocean. For example, in western North America, maritime air masses kept temperatures to within 4C to 5C (7F to 9F) of modern values. This contrasts sharply with the area that is now Tennessee and South Carolina, where temperatures were 15C to 20C (27F to 36F) colder than they are now. Temperature changes in the tropics were smaller, perhaps 4C to 5C (7F to 9F). Snowline was about 1,000 m (3,300 ft) lower, which translates into a temperature decrease of 5C to 6C (9F to 11F) for elevations above 2,000 m (6,600 ft).

Answer to Question 2

Answer: B