Q: What is a glacier? A: A large sheet of ice which lasts all year round. Q: What is a period of time whereby the average global temperature has decreased? A: A glacial. Q: What is an interglacial? Q: What evidence is there that ice ages have occurred? A: A period of time where the average global temperature has increased. Q: What is accumulation? A: Ice core samples/ Glacial landscapes such as U-shaped valleys/ Glacial features e.g. erratic s/fossils. Q: Name the inputs to a glacier? A: Is where the inputs are larger than the outputs. A: Precipitation in the form of snow. Q: What is ablation? Q: What is calving? A: Ablation is where the outputs to the glacier are greater than the inputs. A: Calving occurs at the snout of the glacier, it is where large pieces of ice break away from the glacier. Q: Name the outputs to the glacial system? Q: What is the glacial budget? A: Evaporation / Calving / Meltwater. A: It is a measure of the outputs and inputs of the glacial system. Q: What is a negative glacier mass balance? Q: What is a positive glacier mass balance? A: A negative balance occurs when ablation is greater than accumulation and the glacier retreats. A: A positive balance occurs when accumulation is greater than ablation and the glacier advances.
Q: What are the processes of erosion? Q: What is abrasion? A: Abrasion / Plucking / Basal Slip / Rotational Movement / Freeze Thaw. A: Abrasion occurs when sub-glacial material scrapes the base of the valley, creating scratches called striations. Q: What is plucking? Q: What is basal slip? A: Plucking occurs when outcrops of rock freeze to the glacier. When the glacier moves the outcrops of rock are plucked out of the ground leaving hollows. Q: What is Rotational Movement? A: The weight of the glacier places pressure on the base of the glacier melting it. This creates a thin layer of water which aids abrasion. Q: What is freeze thaw? A: Glacier moves around a pivot point, making the glacier erode. Deepens the base of a corrie. Q: What is the material called at the base of the glacier? A: It is a form of physical weathering. Water freezes in cracks in rock and expands. During the day this melts and then refreezes further expanding the crack in the rock. This cycle continues until the rock breaks of. Q: What is the material called which is found within the glacier? A: Sub-glacial material. Q: What is a supraglacial material? A:En-glacial material. Q: Name three features of erosion? A: Material which is found on the surface of the glacier. Q: What is a firn? A: Corrie /Arete / pyramidal peak / ribbon lake/ hanging valley/ truncated spurs/ u-shaped valley/ Roche Moutonnee. Q: On what slope would you find a glacier and WHY? A: Compressed snow which has lasted one summer melt and a winter. A: N/NE slope because the sun is lower in the sky so it is therefore colder.
Q: What is a crevasse? Q: What the end of the glacier called? A: A large crack in the ice formed because the ice at the surface is moving at a different rate to the ice at the base. Q: What is a corrie? A: The snout. Q: What is an arete? A: An armchair shaped hollow. Q: What is a pyramidal peak? A: A steep sided ridge, formed where two corries back into eachother. Q: What is a u shaped valley? A: A horned shaped summit, formed where three or more corries back onto a central peak. A: A valley with steep sides/ straight/ flat base formed when a glacier erodes a v-shaped (river) valley. Q: What is a ribbon lake? A: A long, narrow lake found at the base of a u-shaped valley. It is formed when a glacier erodes an area of alternating hard and soft rock. This differential erosion causes a hollow which is then filled with meltwater when the glacier retreats. Q: What is a truncated spur? Q: What is a hanging valley? A: A smaller, tributary valley which hangs above the base of the main valley floor. Q: What is a roche moutonee? A: It is an interlocking spur which has been cut off as the glacier erodes a river valley. Q: Name three features of deposition? A:Terminal, Lateral, Medial, Recessional Moraine / Drumlin. A: A large outcrop of rock which has a smooth polished Lee slope, and a jagged stoss slope. The Lee slope is polished by abrasion, and the stoss slope is jagged due to freeze thaw. Q: What is the name of a retreating glacier? A: Mer De Glace
Q: Where is the Mer De Glace? A: On the northern slopes of Mont Blanc, with the furthest extent being the alpine village of Chamonix. Q: When did the Mer De Glace begin to retreat? A: After the little ice age, 1850. Q: Name three attractions of Chamonix? A: Six ski resorts / Mer De Glace / the cable cars and viewing platform / alpine museum/ shops. Q: Name a positive and negative effect of tourism in alpine area on the environment? A: Positive: Chamonix is placed on the World Heritage list. Negative: Litter/ deforestation to create ski resorts Q: What is a positive and negative social effect of tourism in Chamonix? Q: What is tomorrows valley, and give an example of a scheme they support? A: Positive: Low unemployment/ a decrease in urban rural migration/ investment in services. A: A voluntary organisation based in Chamonix. Negative: loss of traditional cultures/ second homes culture outprices locals and they cannot afford to buy a house/ services are geared towards tourism not locals / prices are high.