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Glossary
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http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/photos/caves-gallery/glacier-caving.html
| Glacier Caves |
 davidwallphoto.com/ commons.wikimedia.org/ www.panoramio.com/ |
| There are many types of caves. Two of them are glacier and ice caves.
Glacier and ice caves can be found on both hemispheres. These two caves
are often confused so we decided to address both types. A cave formed
entirely of ice is actually called a glacier cave and as the name
refers, it is made inside a glacier. Melt water from the surface of the
glacier falling through crevasses or by melting from the base of the
glacier create rivers and streams flowing under the ice. Photos of
glacier caves look like ice crystal palaces from another world. Glacier caves have a reputation
for being dynamic and are very unstable. They change from season to
season. Kverkfjoll is the best known glacier cave. It was made
by hot water from hot springs under the glacier. Ice caves are typically karst caves or lava tunnels containing ice. Ice is formed by dripping water and the temperature being below 0 degrees Celsius in the cave. A cave having a high entrance lets cold air in much like a door in a house. Cold air is denser than warm air, so cold air flows downward in the vertical cave. Except from slight changes in the volume, most ice caves are comparatively stable. One example of an ice cave is the most famous and the largest ice cave named Eisriesenwelt, located in Werfen, Austria. Both caves have some organisms living in them. Ice worms, and glacier fleas live in glacier caves. These extremophiles require a microscope to be visible. Now that you have learned a lot of interesting facts about glacier and ice caves, you can test your knowledge on our activities page. |
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