AniceberginEastGreenlandbreaksfromtheendofthistidewater glacier.

Therearemanyothertypesofglaciers.Valleyglacierseroderocks,carvingoutsteep,U‑shapedvalleys.Tidewaterglaciersflowintotheocean.Whathappenswhenafrozenglaciermeetsoceanwater?Itcancrackandpiecescanfallintotheocean.Hugechunksoficefromtheglacierthenform icebergs.

Piedmontglaciers,likethisoneinCanada,formwide,roundshapesastheyspilloutontoflat areas.

Glacier101

Today,therearehundredsofthousandsofglaciersworldwide.Somearehuge.ThereareicesheetsthatareroughlythesizeoftheU.S. statesofDelaware,Maryland,andNewJerseycombined!Onlytwoicesheetsexistintheworld—inGreenlandandin Antarctica.

AlakeformsattheterminusofthisIcelandicvalley glacier.

Piedmontglaciersflowfromsteepmountainareasontoflatareas.Theicethenstretchesoutintohugecrescentshapes.Therearetinyglacierscalledglacierets.Therearemysteriousglacierscalledrockglaciers.Theyaremadefromrockandicefusedtogether.Therearesomanyothertypesofglaciers,andnotwoare alike.

GlobalGlaciers

Glaciersarefoundallovertheworld,andtheyaffecttheenvironment.Theymakelocalweather.Theybuildandshapevastlandscapes.Theyprovidewaterandotheressentialresources.Theyrevealenvironmentalimbalances.Theyconnectculturestolandscapes.Theyevenprovidespiritualfulfillment.Tome,that’swhatissopowerfulabout glaciers.

Now,duetoclimatechange,glaciersaremelting.ThiswillhaveaprofoundeffectonEarth.Sealevelswillrise.Otherwatersourcesmaydryup.Andmanypeoplewholivewithglaciersmaylosepartoftheirwayof life.