In glaciology, an ice cap is a mass of ice that covers less than 50,000 km2 (19,000 sq mi) of land area (usually covering a highland area). Larger ice masses covering more than 50,000 km2 (19,000 sq mi) are termed ice sheets.[1][2][3]
Ice caps are not constrained by topographical features (i.e., they will lie over the top of mountains). By contrast, ice masses of similar size that are constrained by topographical features are known as ice fields. The dome of an ice cap is usually centred on the highest point of a massif. Ice flows away from this high point (the ice divide) towards the ice cap's periphery.[1][3]
Ice caps have significant effects on the geomorphology of the area that they occupy. Plastic moulding, gouging and other glacialerosional features become present upon the glacier's retreat. Many lakes, such as the Great Lakes in North America, as well as numerous valleys have been formed by glacial action over hundreds of thousands of years.
On Earth, there are about 30 million cubic kilometres (7.2 million cubic miles) of total ice mass. The average temperature of an ice mass ranges between −20 and −30 °C (−4 and −22 °F). The core of an ice cap exhibits a constant temperature that ranges between −15 and −20 °C (5 and −4 °F).[citation needed]
High-latitude regions covered in ice, though strictly not an ice cap (since they exceed the maximum area specified in the definition above), are called polar ice caps; the usage of this designation is widespread in the mass media[4] and arguably recognized by experts.[5]Vatnajökull is an example of an ice cap in Iceland.[6]
Plateau glaciers are glaciers that overlie a generally flat highland area. Usually the ice overflows as hanging glaciers in the lower parts of the edges.[7] An example is Biscayarfonna in Svalbard.[8]
^"Cryosphere Glossary". The National Snow and Ice Data Center. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
^Flowers, Gwenn E.; Marshall, Shawn J.; Bjŏrnsson, Helgi; Clarke, Garry K. C. (2005). (PDF). Journal of Geophysical Research. 110: F02011. Bibcode:2005JGRF..11002011F. doi:10.1029/2004JF000200. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-05-31.
^Whalley, Brian. "Plateau Glaciers and their significance". Vignettes: Key Concepts in Geomorphology. Retrieved 27 March 2020 – via Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College.
this, article, about, glacial, feature, other, uses, icecap, disambiguation, glaciology, mass, that, covers, less, than, land, area, usually, covering, highland, area, larger, masses, covering, more, than, termed, sheets, vatnajökull, iceland, contents, descri. This article is about the glacial feature For other uses see Icecap disambiguation In glaciology an ice cap is a mass of ice that covers less than 50 000 km2 19 000 sq mi of land area usually covering a highland area Larger ice masses covering more than 50 000 km2 19 000 sq mi are termed ice sheets 1 2 3 Vatnajokull Iceland Contents 1 Description 2 Variants 3 See also 4 ReferencesDescription EditIce caps are not constrained by topographical features i e they will lie over the top of mountains By contrast ice masses of similar size that are constrained by topographical features are known as ice fields The dome of an ice cap is usually centred on the highest point of a massif Ice flows away from this high point the ice divide towards the ice cap s periphery 1 3 Ice caps have significant effects on the geomorphology of the area that they occupy Plastic moulding gouging and other glacial erosional features become present upon the glacier s retreat Many lakes such as the Great Lakes in North America as well as numerous valleys have been formed by glacial action over hundreds of thousands of years On Earth there are about 30 million cubic kilometres 7 2 million cubic miles of total ice mass The average temperature of an ice mass ranges between 20 and 30 C 4 and 22 F The core of an ice cap exhibits a constant temperature that ranges between 15 and 20 C 5 and 4 F citation needed Variants EditSee also Polar ice cap and Ice field High latitude regions covered in ice though strictly not an ice cap since they exceed the maximum area specified in the definition above are called polar ice caps the usage of this designation is widespread in the mass media 4 and arguably recognized by experts 5 Vatnajokull is an example of an ice cap in Iceland 6 Plateau glaciers are glaciers that overlie a generally flat highland area Usually the ice overflows as hanging glaciers in the lower parts of the edges 7 An example is Biscayarfonna in Svalbard 8 See also EditGlacier Iceberg Ice cap climate Ice core Ice shelf List of glaciers in Russia Sea iceReferences Edit a b Benn Douglas Evans David 1998 Glaciers and Glaciation London Arnold ISBN 0 340 58431 9 Bennett Matthew Glasser Neil 1996 Glacial Geology Ice Sheets and Landforms Chichester England John Wiley and Sons Ltd ISBN 0 471 96345 3 a b Greve R Blatter H 2009 Dynamics of Ice Sheets and Glaciers Springer doi 10 1007 978 3 642 03415 2 ISBN 978 3 642 03414 5 Time Magazine Online Arctic Ice Explorers CNN 2009 03 11 Retrieved 2010 05 04 Cryosphere Glossary The National Snow and Ice Data Center Retrieved 27 March 2020 Flowers Gwenn E Marshall Shawn J Bjŏrnsson Helgi Clarke Garry K C 2005 Sensitivity of Vatnajŏkull ice cap hydrology and dynamics to climate warming over the next 2 centuries PDF Journal of Geophysical Research 110 F02011 Bibcode 2005JGRF 11002011F doi 10 1029 2004JF000200 Archived from the original PDF on 2007 09 27 Retrieved 2007 05 31 Whalley Brian Plateau Glaciers and their significance Vignettes Key Concepts in Geomorphology Retrieved 27 March 2020 via Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College Biscayarfonna Svalbard Norwegian Polar Institute Retrieved 11 October 2019 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ice cap amp oldid 1116219340, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
