What do you think about when you hear Glacier?

Play with the simulation.

  1. Try changing the sea level temperature. Change the average annual snowfall. What happens when you make the changes? If you need too, click on the reset all button and start over.

  2. Pause the animation and try drilling a hole in the glacier. What happens when you start it up again?

  3. Where does the glacier move the fastest?

  4. What do the black specks represent? Where do they come from? What happens when they reach the foot of the glacier?

  5. Can you make the glacier retreat? What is happening to the black specks as the glacier is retreating?

The simulation is embedded - it may take a moment to load. Source page. Includes links to activities.


PhET also has all kinds of other science and math simulations to check out.

How does a mountain glacier differ from the glaciers that covered Minnesota?

Top of the glacier - What do you notice?

Front edge/foot of glacier.

Melt water on surface.

Side view inside of crevasse at the foot of the glacier.

Front/foot of the glacier is to the left. The foot is not moving or moving slower than the ice behind it. Ice and rock from the right is pushed up over the slower moving foot.

What do I want you to think about when you hear glaciers?

  1. They take lots of time to form

  2. They are dirty - they moved lots of material. How much glacial till is under your house?

  3. They advanced and melted away over Minnesota in LOBES multiple times from multiple directions.

  4. Retreating does not mean moving backwards. What does it mean?

  5. What are two ways that glaciers left material behind?

      • Material dumped/dropped - till / moraine

      • Material moved by water out from the front of the glacier - sorted / outwash

  6. How did glaciers help form lakes/ponds/potholes?