How and where do glaciers form? What will be an ideal ...

[MirandaLo]

How and where do glaciers form? What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

What is the difference between ice caps and continental glaciers? What will be an ideal response?

[Meganchabluk]

Answer to Question 1

Glaciers form in any area where more snow falls than melts during the warmer seasons, so there is a
net accumulation. This fresh snow contains about 80 air-filled pore space, but it compacts as new
snow falls on it, partially thaws, and refreezes, and eventually makes a granular type of snow called
firn. The firn is buried and further compacted as more snow falls, and eventually, it is recrystallized
into glacial ice, which contains much less air than fresh snow.

Answer to Question 2

Ice caps are smaller than continental glaciers, covering less than 50,000 km2. Continental glaciers
cover areas larger than 50,000 sq km. Some ice caps form when valley glaciers grow and coalesce.
They also form on fairly flat terrain, such as on Iceland.