A glacier is a hard, thick and compact ice mass on land that forms through the recrystallization of snow and moves forward under its own weight. Glaciers form over many years of packed snow in areas where more snow accumulates than it melts. A glacier is a dynamic and fragile ice body always moving forward, characterized by three basic components, that is, accumulation, ablation, and terminus zone (Snout) (Figure 1).
Synoptic view of glacier (Dokriani Glacier, Garhwal Himalaya, India) and its components (Photo: Dobhal).
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Dobhal, D.P. (2011). Glacier. In: Singh, V.P., Singh, P., Haritashya, U.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Snow, Ice and Glaciers. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2642-2_190
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2642-2_190
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