Glaciers are made of three layers - snow on top, a middle layer of snow and ice mixture, and solid ice on the bottom. Crevasses, or cracks, form as the glacier moves slowly over time. This movement of glaciers erodes and shapes the surrounding landscape, creating features like valleys and mountain peaks. While glaciers can be visited, it is dangerous to walk on them without proper equipment due to hidden crevasses beneath the snow.

1. Antarctic Scripts

4. Glaciers: Wonders in Ice Three layers make up what are called true glaciers. First, there is a layer of snow on top. The next layer is made of an ice and snow mixture. Finally, solid ice forms the bottom layer. There are also cracks called crevasses that appear while the glacier is moving. Some glaciers move very slowly, so slowly it is hard to tell, while others may move a few hundred feet in a day. It is this movement of the massive ice that makes the unique features of the land. Giant mountain peaks, lakes, and valleys are all results of glaciers that moved and eroded away the land years in the past. You can visit glaciers but it is not recommended that you walk on them. Deep crevasses may be underneath the snow, making them hard to see. Trained people who have experience with climbing mountains and glaciers, and have special tools, like a rope, crampons, and an ice axe, are better equipped to do this kind of exploring. People who travel on glaciers should never go alone.

7. Glaciers and Icebergs Glaciers and icebergs are both made of ice and are both very large. Glaciers Glaciers are huge pieces of ice that are on land. They are found in areas where there is steady snowfall. Glaciers form when more snow falls than melts away over the years. The leftover snow slowly recrystallizes to form ice. Types of Glaciers There are two types of glaciers. Mountain glaciers move down the sides of mountains. Ice sheets, on the other hand, form on level ground and spread out in all directions. The continent of Antarctica is covered by a huge ice sheet. Icebergs Some glaciers or ice sheets go all the way to the seashore. As the ice reaches the shore, a part of it may break off and fall into the sea. This huge piece of ice, now floating in the ocean, is called an iceberg. About 10,000 icebergs each year come from the glaciers that cover Greenland.